Google has announced a major upgrade to its conversational AI system, Bard, now powered by the advanced Gemini Pro model worldwide. Bard can now understand and converse in over 40 languages, covering 230 countries and regions. This is a significant expansion compared to the original English version launched in December last year. Bard will benefit from enhanced reasoning, summarization, planning, and programming capabilities compared to previous versions. Over the past 12 months, Google has narrowed the gap in functionality and features with OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot. Independent evaluations by large-scale model systems organizations confirm that Bard, along with Gemini Pro, is now one of the best-performing chatbots available. As more people turn to chatbots for information, Google is striving to provide accurate responses. They have updated Bard's built-in "double-check" feature, allowing users to verify responses by cross-referencing content on the web. Previously available only in English, the double-check feature now works for information in over 40 languages. Users simply need to click the "G" icon, and Bard will analyze external sources to confirm or refute its initial response. Any verified phrases will become clickable links, leading to the original source material. In addition to improved language understanding capabilities, Bard can now generate custom images to visually present text prompts. This new feature is supported by Google's Imagen 2 model, which utilizes diffusion models to render high-fidelity visual effects with creativity. To address ethical concerns, the generated images contain invisible digital watermarks indicating their non-natural origin. Other safeguards also restrict inappropriate violent, sexual, or offensive content. However, today's update seems to be just an appetizer for what Google has in store for its AI products this year. Additionally, there are rumors of a new advanced service called Gemini Advanced (supported by the more powerful Gemini Ultra model), which includes customizable robots, "enhanced" prompts, and tighter integration with Google Suite.