Google Bard can now help write software code

FILE PHOTO: A man walks past a logo of Alphabet Inc's Google in front of at an office building in Zurich, Switzerland July 1, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google said on Friday it will update Bard, its generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, to help people write code to develop software, as the tech giant plays catch-up in a fast-moving race on AI technology.

Last month, the company started the public release of Bard to gain ground on Microsoft Corp.