Google has officially rolled out an update for its Bard chatbot, now powered by the Gemini Pro model, extending its capabilities to support over 40 languages worldwide. This upgrade introduces a wide array of languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, marking a pivotal moment in Google’s push towards making advanced AI tools more accessible and inclusive.

The tech giant first introduced its new suite of generative AI models in December, which included the flagship Gemini Ultra, the “lite” version Gemini Pro, and the compact Gemini Nano, specifically designed to operate on devices like the Pixel 8. Initially, Bard was updated with Gemini Pro for English conversations, but this latest expansion brings its enhanced capabilities to a global audience.

Since its debut in February 2023, Google’s Bard has undergone several updates to improve its performance. Initially powered by LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications), it later transitioned to PaLM 2 before adopting the Gemini Pro model.

In addition to linguistic enhancements, Google introduced a “Double check” feature in September, which uses Google Search to verify the chatbot’s responses for accuracy. Initially available only in English, this feature now supports Bard’s expanded language capabilities, ensuring users receive reliable information.

A notable innovation accompanying this update is the integration of image generation capabilities through the Imagen 2 model, which was released in December. Currently available in English, this feature allows users to prompt Bard to create images. These images will include a SynthID digital watermark, developed by DeepMind, to ensure authenticity, although identification requires Google’s tools.