Google’s new virtual assistant to include Bard AI tools

As tech giants vie to capitalise on AI advancements, Google is infusing its sprawling portfolio of products with the technology. Last month, the division of Alphabet Inc said it would outfit services like Gmail, Maps, Docs and YouTube with its Bard chatbot. — Reuters

Google will soon release a version of its virtual assistant that is powered by the company’s Bard artificial intelligence technology, helping users handle more complex tasks.

The new offering, called Assistant with Bard, will be available in a test phase shortly and then roll out to the general public in the coming months, the company said Wednesday (Oct 4). The release will equip the Assistant, which helps users of Android and Google devices complete tasks and find information, with some of the capabilities of Bard, a chatbot that is the company’s answer to OpenAI’s wildly popular ChatGPT.