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Introduction to Google Bard Updates
Google Bard, the innovative AI chatbot from this tech-giant, has recently undergone significant updates. These changes are a result of Google's consistent endeavours to enhance the information retrieval process by experimenting with artificial intelligence. The most notable change in Bard is the integration of extensions that link it to a wider range of Google's portfolio
Google’s AI Chatbot Bard Gets New Extensions
Aiming to make its AI more user-friendly and versatile, Google has rolled out a series of Q, upgrades to Bard. These enhancements include the addition of various extensions that seamlessly merge Bard with multiple facets of Google's offerings, such as Gmail, Docs, and YouTube. These new extensions could potentially facilitate several tasks, including finding old historical Google Docs or managing mounds of unread Gmail messages. However, it is critically important to note that using these extensions might require more patience than usual as they could be a bit clunky initially.
Understanding The Extensions And Their Functionality
The new extensions released for Bard are designed to bridge the gap between this AI chatbot and many Google services. While the primary interaction with Bard will remain text-based, these added extensions are expected to make the chatbot more versatile. The Gmail extension could be utilized to search for specific information among unread messages, drafts, or any other Gmail content. Similarly, the Docs extension can be handy for individuals looking to search through old Google Docs easily. The YouTube extension, though not explicitly mentioned, could likely help with retrieving and managing content across the video-sharing platform.
Various Google Apps Now Connected To Bard
With the recent Bard's update, Google has seamlessly integrated several of its services and apps with its AI interface. This move results in a more cohesive and holistic ecosystem of Google services that work coherently with the chatbot. The connections developed between Bard and the Google services are designed to enable better content discovery, organization, and overall task organization.
Privacy Implications With Bard’s Extensions
It's always crucial to scrutinize the privacy policies before engaging further with any technological tool, and the Bard Extensions are no exception. Further to Google's announcement regarding the Bard updates, it has been made clear that, upon choosing to utilize the Workspace extensions, users' content from Gmail, Docs, and Drive is not subject to any human review. Moreover, such data will not be deployed by Bard to display advertisements or contribute to the training of the Bard model. However, regardless of these assurances, understanding the full extent of the privacy policy is still essential.
How to Use Extensions for Google Bard
Google Bard extends its functionalities by using extensions, a feature designed to enhance its responsiveness. The extensions enable Bard to interact with several Google apps and services in such a way that it can provide a wide range of information. This includes real-time flight and hotel booking details, extracting location data from Google Maps, and retrieving content from Gmail, Docs, and Drive.
Requirement of a Google Account to Use Bard
To start interacting with Bard and its new functionalities, you must first have a Google account. If you don't already have one, it's simple to create one. Once the account is set up and you're logged in, you can easily access Bard by visiting its website via any browser.
Activation of Extensions to Gmail, Docs, YouTube, etc.
The main page of Bard allows users to activate connections to several Google services, such as Google Flights, Google Hotels, Google Maps, YouTube, and Google Workspace, which comprises Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Drive. These extensions can be switched on or off individually according to user requirements. For instance, Bard can help create a template for a best man speech and even help find funny YouTube videos for inspiration.
Using Tags for Targeted Results (@gmail, @docs, @drive)
Specific tags corresponding to different services like @docs, @drive, or @gmail can be used when you decide to activate the Workspace extension. This is crucial as these tags help Bard focus on the specific areas you've instructed it to. Here's how it works: if you'd want Bard to summarize today's unread emails from your Gmail, you could use a prompt like, "Please check my @gmail and summarize the unread emails from today."
Note on Extensions Availability
Currently, extensions are only offered to personal Google Accounts managed on individual basis. Users with Google Workspace accounts for schools, businesses, or other organizations do not have access to these extensions. Also, Bard's Activity feature needs to be switched on for the extensions to work. Understandably, these extensions are presently available primarily in English.
Effectiveness of Bard in Retrieving Gmail Messages and Google Docs
While Google Bard, equipped with its new extensions, offers novel functionalities, it's essential to understand that many of these AI features are experimental in nature. As a user, it would be best to manage expectations and anticipate some irregularities in retrieving information from Gmail messages and Google Docs.
Lower Expectation Due to Experimental Nature of AI Updates
Just like most AI experiments launched in 2023, Bard's update is an experimental venture aimed at enhancing how you interact with AI functionalities. It prioritizes the most recent Gmail messages, often referencing five related messages when responding to inquiries. Nonetheless, it seems to face challenges when tasked to retrieve older messages. For example, when asked to identify the oldest message in the inbox from a specific sender, Bard could only go back to an email from the previous week. Therefore, it's advisable to maintain low expectations and consistently verify information fetched by Bard.
Incidents of Misunderstanding Context
Extensive use of Bard may reveal occasional contextual failures. Instances have been reported where Bard misunderstood a user’s query, pulling out irrelevant pieces of information from emails or other documents. One such scenario involved a user asking Bard for messages from their father. Bard's response included a promotional Father's Day email from 2017, misinterpreting it as a message from the user's parent. Such misunderstandings echo the need for users to double-check the information retrieved by Bard.
Potential Usefulness in Locating Emails or Documents Based on Topic
Despite the hiccups, Bard’s extensions can be particularly handy in certain scenarios. If you need to locate a specific email or document and the only details you recall are its topical coverage, using Bard can be quite helpful. It has shown a great deal of precision in fetching information on a range of topics upon request. Therefore, while the new extensions may seem a tad messy presently, they can undoubtedly facilitate in information retrieval related to multiple themes or subjects.
Other Uses and Limitations of Bard
While Bard's new extensions increase its potential uses, it is essential to be aware of its limitations to better understand and use the AI program. From helping to refine our communication to its limitations in interpreting nuanced issues, the extensions for Google Bard provide many routes for exploration.
Bard’s Ability to Provide Feedback on Writing
Bard can act as a personal editor to the user, helping to organize thoughts and providing excellent suggestions on wording and grammar. You can ask Bard to draft a response for scenarios ranging from apologizing for not being able to attend a friend's wedding to simply seeking a better way to phrase a sentence. This ability to refine communication expands Bard's use beyond mere retrieval of Gmail messages and documents, making it a valuable tool in both professional and personal settings.
Limitations in Interpreting Nuanced Issues
Despite its many promising features, Bard is still an experimental technology, which means it may generate inaccurate or inappropriate responses occasionally. As a consequence, Bard's ability to hold context during longer conversations is intentionally limited. However, as Bard continues to learn and evolve, its ability to comprehend nuances and maintain context during longer interactions is expected to improve. Users are encouraged to report any discrepancies in Bard's responses to further assist in its development.
Current State of Bard Far from the Ideal of a Fully Competent AI Assistant
It is essential to understand that Google Bard still has limitations, and it can sometimes fail to deliver on its stated capabilities. Bard at times can be quite an unreliable narrator, especially when met with more complex tasks or demands. The current state of Bard is described as far from the ideal of a fully competent AI assistant. However, with continuous learning and updates, and given its potential capabilities, Bard is very much on its way to becoming an integral part of the Google services ecosystem.
