Google has made significant moves in recent months to expand the capabilities of its conversational AI model, Bard. In March, the tech giant released Bard more broadly, and by May, it began testing the integration of this advanced AI into its own search results.
This strategic decision to enhance Bard’s capabilities comes amidst a high-stakes antitrust trial that poses potential challenges to Google’s dominant position in the search engine market. The trial, marking the most significant U.S. antitrust case in a quarter century, is led by the U.S. Justice Department, which alleges that Google has leveraged its market power to suppress competition and stifle innovation. In response, Google has defended its search engine’s dominance by asserting that its algorithms consistently produce superior search results, emphasizing that competition has been intensifying, particularly with the growth of artificial intelligence.
The recent developments include granting Bard access to a wealth of personal data and popular services like Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube. The rationale behind this expansion is the belief that it will enhance these services’ utility and encourage greater reliance on them.
For instance, Google envisions Bard assisting a user planning a group trip to the Grand Canyon by coordinating suitable dates for all participants, presenting various flight and accommodation options, offering directions via Google Maps, and curating informative YouTube videos. These enhancements signify Google’s ongoing commitment to harnessing AI to provide more comprehensive and user-friendly services.
Carlo Juancho FuntanillaFrontend Developer, WordPress, Shopify
Contributing Editor
AMA ACLC San Pablo
