New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS): Google on Tuesday released a more capable version of Bard, its generative AI chatbot and ChatGPT rival, that now integrates with Google apps and services including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Maps, YouTube, and Google Flights and hotels for more helpful responses.

The company said that it has also improved the “Google it” feature to double-check Bard’s answers, and expanded access to more places.

Google is now expanding Bard access to existing English language features such as the ability to upload images with Google Lens, get Search images in responses, and modify Bard’s responses to more than 40 supported languages.

Bard Extensions in English is a new way to interact and collaborate with Bard.

“With Extensions, Bard can find and show you relevant information from the Google tools you use every day even when the information you need is across multiple apps and services,” said Yury Pinsky, Director, Product Management, Bard.

If you choose to use the Workspace extensions, your content from Gmail, Docs and Drive is not seen by human reviewers, used by Bard to show you ads or used to train the Bard model.

“You’re always in control of your privacy settings when deciding how you want to use these extensions, and you can turn them off at any time,” said the company.

With responses in English, you can use Bard’s “Google it” button to more easily double-check its answers -- an improvement that taps into work by Google Research and Google DeepMind.

When you click on the “G” icon, Bard will read the response and evaluate whether there is content across the web to substantiate it.

When a statement can be evaluated, you can click the highlighted phrases and learn more about supporting or contradicting information found by Search.

“We’re also making it easier to build on others’ conversations with Bard. Starting today, when someone shares a Bard chat with you through a public link, you can continue the conversation and ask Bard additional questions about that topic or use it as a starting point for your own ideas,” said the company.