Google Assistant Is Getting a Bard Generative AI Upgrade

pcmag.com:

Google Assistant has existed in one form or another for nearly 20 years. But it pales in comparison to newer generative AI like ChatGPT and even Google's own Bard, so Google is rolling out a new Assistant with Bard to rectify that.

As the name suggests, Assistant with Bard brings the generative AI powers of Bard to Assistant, and lets you communicate via talk, text, or photos. That last one may sound odd, but Google gave an intriguing example of what you could do with it.

"For example, say you just took a photo of your cute puppy you'd like to post to social media. Simply float the Assistant with Bard overlay on top of your photo and ask it to write a social post for you," Google says. "Assistant with Bard will use the image as a visual cue, understand the context and help with what you need."

That conversational overlay is a new feature, and it sounds like it will be exclusive to Android devices, though that may be down to iOS limitations imposed by Apple. Assistant with Bard will interact with Gmail and Docs as well.

In another example, Google demonstrated a scenario asking Assistant to help catch up on important emails you've missed. Assistant scanned an inbox and summarized three emails, some of a business nature and others personal. You could ask follow-up questions, like where a birthday party will be, and Assistant provided those details along with pulling up Google Maps.

Other suggested features included providing a picture and asking Assistant with Bard to write a social post about it. In the response, Assistant examined the photo, offered text, and even provided relevant hashtags.

Google promises Assistant with Bard is "built with privacy in mind" "just like Bard and Assistant," but didn't elaborate beyond