Users Urge Google to Enhance Bard's Features to Match ChatGPT

It seems that Google's product team is attempting to engage with the community about enhancing Bard, its competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. However, feedback from users indicates a strong desire for Bard to adopt features that are already available in ChatGPT, highlighting the challenges Google faces in the competitive landscape of AI chatbots.

In a recent post on Reddit, Chris Gorgolewski, a product manager for Bard, invited community members to share their thoughts on new capabilities they wish to see in the chatbot. Among the most requested features were mobile applications for iOS and Android. OpenAI has already released these for ChatGPT, making it easy for users to access the platform on their devices. Many users expressed interest in either a standalone Bard application or deeper integration with Google Assistant.

Gorgolewski referenced previous statements from Bard Vice President Sissie Hsiao, indicating that integration with the Assistant is still in the experimental phase but expected to be available to the public in the coming months. Users, however, remain eager for these updates.

Another highly requested feature was an image generation capability, with users expressing interest in connecting Bard to Google’s Imagen model. This functionality would align Bard more closely with what ChatGPT offers through DALL-E 3, enhancing its multimedia response capabilities.

Custom instructions, similar to features that ChatGPT provides, were also on users' wish lists. Individuals expressed a desire for the ability to tailor Bard's responses, such as requiring more concise answers. One user, going by ‘bambin0,’ noted that the experience with Bard currently feels lacking compared to ChatGPT, emphasizing a desire for more robust features.

The community also called for a music generation tool. While ChatGPT does not feature this, Google is planning to integrate its music generation model, Lyria, into creator tools on YouTube later this year.

Another notable request involved modifications to Bard’s content restrictions. Many users believe that Bard should not impose stricter limits than those available with Google Search’s parental controls. Some voiced a desire for fewer censorship constraints, with one user humorously requesting a "rude and controversial option" to differentiate Bard from other models.

Since its launch in March, Bard has seen various updates, including enhanced language functionality, improved coding abilities, and expansions to Google services like Gmail, Docs, YouTube, and Google Maps. Enthusiasts looking for a more advanced version of Bard can look forward to the upcoming release of Gemini Ultra later this year.

For now, however, the community's main call to action is for Bard to integrate features that align more closely with ChatGPT, as user ‘rm-rf_’ succinctly put it: “Build an app and reach parity with ChatGPT app on features.”

This emerging feedback signals a critical phase for Google as it strives to enhance Bard’s competitiveness in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.