Google Announces Arabic Bard, Generative AI Speaks 16 Dialects
Google Bard, the tech giant’s generative AI platform, has launched in Arabic, along with more than 40 other languages. The Arabic language is renowned for its complexity, with numerous dialects that present a challenge for communication.
Traditionally, the written form has predominantly been in classical Arabic, posing difficulties for online interactions over the years. Many Arabic speakers have resorted to using “Arabeezy” (a combination of English letters and numbers) as a workaround to express their thoughts effectively.
Recognising the intricacies of the language, Google ensured that Bard can understand 16 distinct colloquial dialects, including Egyptian, Emirati, and Saudi Arabic. In turn, it would share responses in Modern Standard Arabic.
Interestingly, Bard also has the ability to understand code-switching, where input incorporates both Arabic and another language. This feature caters to the linguistic practices of Arabic speakers, especially those from the Levant region who often blend multiple languages in their conversations.
Bard’s Arabic user interface has also been thoughtfully designed to support right-to-left script, aligning with the natural flow of Arabic text and making it more user-friendly. This comes after Bard’s initial global launch in May when it was only available in English.
“This announcement means that Arabic speakers are now able to leverage the power of a generative AI based on PaLM 2 technology that Google has developed in an experiment that we call Bard, where they’re able to create new content and collaborate with this AI, experiment to generate and create new ideas, simplify topics and also, directly get involved into the wonders of such technologies,” Najeeb Jarrar, Regional Director of Marketing at Google MENA exclusively told sources.
However, Bard will not be able to recognise “Arabeezy,” which, according to Jarrar, is no longer necessary because the availability of Arabic language keyboards on devices has diminished the need for this form of communication over the years, leading to an increase in users typing in Arabic.
The launch of ChatGPT in November last year has led to an explosion of similar generative AI platforms, with hundreds of millions of users worldwide. People have grown to rely on these powerful tools for a wide range of purposes, from simplifying complex subjects and condensing lengthy web pages to creating artwork and generating new ideas.
Many have argued that it will never beat the creativity of the human mind, but what it can do is generate ideas a lot quicker. Google Bard in Arabic comes with a wide range of features, some of which can enhance your creativity. Here is a list of unique features offered:
- Hearing Bard’s responses out loud by clicking on the sound icon
- Saving, organising, and modifying Bard’s chat history
- Sharing Bard’s responses with friends through shareable links
- Exporting Python code to online integrated development environment Replit and Google Colab
Other new updates available in English only include the ability to change the tone of Bard’s responses and upload images to prompt the AI platform which will analyse the image with Google Lens and generate a response accordingly.
And unlike ChatGPT, which has a knowledge cutoff of September 2021, Bard consistently updates itself with new information, Jarrar told reporters during a closed session in Dubai on Wednesday. However, he said that it does not update itself in real time.
