During the Made by Google event earlier this month, Google announced a new smarter version of Assistant with its generative AI chatbot Bard. The company said that Google Assistant with Bard would first be available to testers and roll out to other iOS and Android users over the next few months. It looks like a handful of Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices will be the first to get it.
While Google Assistant is okay for straightforward questions and tasks such as answering questions, scheduling events, and adjusting settings, it trips up when you ask anything with even a semblance of complexity. That’s where Bard, the Mountain View giant’s conversational AI service that aims to provide high-quality responses, comes in.
Google says that Assistant with Bard will combine Bard’s smarts with Assistant’s personalized help. This will result in a more intuitive assistant and for a more personalized experience, it will be integrated with services like Gmail, Google Drive, and Docs.
9to5Google decompiled the version of the Google app beta and code snippets seem to suggest that the recently announced Pixel 8 and 8 Pro and the forthcoming Galaxy S24 series will be the first devices to get revamped Assistant.
Google also seems to be readying support for Pixel 6 and later Google devices, which implies that initially, only Tensor-powered phones will get Assistant with Bard. After that, Galaxy S23 owners will get the smarter personal assistant. Later on, it will be available to more devices.
9to5Google believes that the testing phase will be an “opt-in experience” and might be a part of Google Labs.
Google app version 14.41 also includes examples of queries you can ask, such as:
- Help explain in a kid-friendly way why rainbows appear.
- You are a social trend expert on the latest internet slang and memes. Explain the term “canon event”. Provide a clear definition of the term, and explain how and when to use it. Also, provide a few examples of how this term is used in practice.
- Draft an email to my recruiter to accept the Social Media Manager job offer and negotiate a later start date.
- Outline my social media post for my network about my summer internship.
- Help me incorporate more plant-based options in my diet.
