Google’s AI Chatbot Bard Now Helps with Programming and Software Development Tasks
Google's AI chatbot, Bard, has been given the ability to help with programming and software development tasks, including code generation, debugging, and code explanation. The update comes after coding was one of the top requests from users since the AI chatbot’s launch in March.[0] Bard can now write in 20 programming languages, including C++, Java, JavaScript, and Python, and can also export code to Colab, Google's cloud-based notebook environment for Python, and help users write functions for Sheets.[1] Google has cautioned that Bard is still an experiment and may produce incomplete or inaccurate code, and users should double-check the chatbot's responses and test for errors and vulnerabilities before using it for independent work.[2]
The update comes after Bloomberg reported that some Google employees had little faith in the chatbot and felt that the project was rushed to launch in an effort to compete with OpenAI and Microsoft.[0] However, Google's spokesperson said that responsible AI remains a top priority for the company, and they are continuing to invest in the teams that work on applying their AI principles to their technology.[3]
Bard is still in its early experimental phase and may produce false or misleading information, but the brand is confident that its new coding capabilities can be beneficial in assisting users in their projects.[0] In addition to generating code, Bard can also provide explanations for snippets of code and help debug code that isn't functioning correctly.[1] With its integration with Google's other products, Bard is expected to become a formidable rival to OpenAI's ChatGPT, which is also the power behind Microsoft's Bing chat.[0]
Despite Google's software authority and AI prowess, Bard has a lot to prove.[4] Google plans to insert Bard into Google Search at some point in the future, but unless it makes search results more accurate, it may fail to make an impact.[5] Nevertheless, Bard is a promising AI chatbot that demonstrates the exciting future of AI assistant search and learning tools that will make information more readily available to users.
0. “Google Bard just took a big step toward being a proper ChatGPT rival” Digital Trends, 21 Apr. 2023, https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/google-bard-chatbot-gets-code-debugger-skills/
1. “Google gives Bard the ability to generate and debug code” Engadget, 21 Apr. 2023, https://www.engadget.com/google-gives-bard-the-ability-to-generate-and-debug-code-130024663.html
2. “Google's AI Chatbot Can Now Help You Code” CNET, 21 Apr. 2023, https://www.cnet.com/tech/googles-ai-chatbot-can-now-help-you-code
3. “Google employees label AI chatbot Bard “worse than useless” and “a pathological liar”: report” The Verge, 19 Apr. 2023, https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/19/23689554/google-ai-chatbot-bard-employees-criticism-pathological-liar
4. “Google Bard: Everything you need to know about Google's AI efforts” Android Central, 15 Apr. 2023, https://www.androidcentral.com/apps-software/google-bard
5. “Google Bard can now write, debug, and explain code” 9to5Google, 21 Apr. 2023, https://9to5google.com/2023/04/21/google-bard-code/
