Alphabet Inc.’s Google announced recently that it successfully launched its chatbot, Bard, in the European Union (EU) and Brazil. This milestone signifies a significant triumph as the tech juggernaut had been entangled in the net of regulatory complications in the EU. This launch is an extension to its territory and embodies new capabilities for the artificial Intelligence (AI) software.
According to Google, this AI tool, Bard, can now respond in over 40 languages, including Chinese, Hindi, and Spanish. It has also spruced up Bard by adding new features like spoken responses and image analyses.
This AI software was initially launched in around 180 countries earlier this year. The delay in its EU launch was attributed to compliance issues with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In response, Google has had productive conversations with privacy regulators in Europe. Google’s Senior Product Director, Jack Krawczyk, stressed on the importance of an ongoing discourse to ensure the alignment of product development with principles of transparency, choice, and control.
Krawczyk added that Google will now thoroughly inform users about their data usage and storage. Users will also be given the option to prevent Google employees from reviewing their conversations. This control over data usage will now be made available worldwide, far beyond the territorial bounds of the EU.
However, despite these advances, Google has found itself amidst a class-action lawsuit in the US that accuses the tech giant of misusing user’s personal data for AI system training. These allegations have led to a drop in traffic and unique visitors to AI chat service websites, flagging a potential wane in novelty.
On the flip side, the move for Bard’s expansion comes at a significant time. It now stands toe-to-toe with its Microsoft-supported rival, ChatGPT. Battling roadblocks of data protection laws in the past, AI chat services like ChatGPT have had their share of temporal shutdowns in Europe. Yet, it is clear now that companies like Google are relentless in their pursuit of pushing boundaries and expanding into new territories, aiming to exploit the full potential of artificial intelligence.
In essence, the unfolding of Google’s Bard in EU and Brazil marks a meaningful extension for the AI tool. Yet, high-stakes legal battles and dwindling novelty may pose hurdles on its path to becoming a trailblazing AI software.
Source: Cointelegraph
