New Bard AI Features: Extracting Data, Analyzing Videos & Images, Summarizing Articles, and More

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Summarizing YouTube Videos
• Speaking and Listening to Bard
• Email Summarization
• Analyzing Web Pages
• Extracting Image Data
• Customizing Responses
• Sharing Responses
• Real-Time Hotel Search
• Dark Mode and Response Settings
• Conclusion

Introduction to Google Bard's New Features

Google recently unveiled Bard, its conversational AI system, to compete with ChatGPT. Bard aims to provide helpful information to users through natural conversations. With constant updates, there have been major changes to how you can use this AI. This article will highlight Bard's newest capabilities you may not know about.

To get the full Bard experience, go to the extensions tab and enable integrations like Google Flights, Hotels, Maps, YouTube, and Google Workspace. This allows Bard to access more data to provide better responses.

Overview of Bard's New Features

Bard can now summarize YouTube videos by analyzing transcripts. It can also speak responses aloud using text-to-speech. Bard can search your Gmail and summarize emails. It can analyze web pages and bullet point key information. The AI can also extract data from images like graphs and identify objects. Bard allows customizing response length, style, and sharing via public links. Other new capabilities include integrated Google Hotels search, dark mode, and real-time response settings.

Summarizing YouTube Videos

One of Bard's newest features is summarizing YouTube videos. To use this, copy and paste a YouTube video URL into Bard. Then ask 'What is this video talking about?' Bard will search YouTube, find the video, get the transcript, and summarize key information.

For best results, use this template: 'Give me insights about this [video link]. Organize the information in a set of easy to scan bullet points.' Bard will quickly analyze the video transcript and return bullet points summarizing the key takeaways.

Enter Video URL and Use Template

To summarize a YouTube video:

• Copy and paste the video URL into Bard
• Say 'What is this video talking about?' or use the recommended template
• Bard will analyze transcript and return bullet point summary

Speaking and Listening to Bard

Unlike other AIs, you can actually have a spoken conversation with Bard using text-to-speech. Click 'Use my microphone' and allow microphone access. Then speak your query. Bard will respond aloud (although the voice still needs improvement).

This hands-free experience allows multitasking while conversing with Bard. It brings the AI closer to a real human chat.

Enabling Text-to-Speech

To make Bard speak responses aloud:

• Click 'Use my microphone' and allow microphone access
• Speak your query aloud instead of typing
• Bard will respond through your device speakers

Email Summarization

Bard can search your Gmail account and summarize emails thanks to Google Workspace integration. Ask 'What emails from [sender] did I have this month?' or 'Did I get any emails from [sender] this month?'.

If Bard doesn't understand it can access your email, rephrase as if it has access. This helps catch up on overlooked emails and extract key details through summaries.

Asking about Specific Emails

To get email summaries:

• Ask 'What emails from [sender] did I have this month?'
• Bard will check Gmail and summarize any results
• Rephrase if Bard doesn't understand it has Gmail access

Analyzing Web Pages

Bard can digest web page content for you. Copy an article link and ask 'What is this article about?'. Bard will read the page and summarize it.

You can also request 'Summarize with key bullet points' to get only the main ideas quickly.

Summarizing Articles

To summarize a web page:

• Copy page URL
• Ask 'What is this article about?'
• Bard will read and summarize page content

Bullet Point Summaries

To get bullet points:

• After article summary request, ask for 'bullet point' summary
• Bard will extract and bullet point key info

Extracting Image Data

Bard has multimodal abilities, meaning it can interpret images. Upload a graph, chart, or data visualization screenshot. Ask 'What is the data about?'. Bard will scan, extract, analyze, and explain the information.

Bard can also identify objects in photos. It does reverse image searches to gather context. This makes it great for learning about rare plants, landmarks, artifacts, etc.

Analyzing Graphs and Charts

To extract data from images:

• Upload graph/chart screenshot
• Ask 'What is the data about?'
• Bard will scan and explain the data

Identifying Objects

Bard can also identify objects in photos through reverse image search. Steps:

• Upload photo of object
• Bard will try to name and provide context on it

Customizing Responses

Bard allows customizing responses to suit your needs. Click 'Modify response' to make responses shorter, longer, simpler, more casual, or more professional. Great for adjusting tone and detail level.

Modifying Response Length and Style

To customize Bard's responses:

• Click 'Modify response' after a reply
• Options to make shorter, longer, simpler, etc
• Allows adjusting tone and detail level

Sharing Responses

Found something interesting in your Bard conversation? Easily share it by clicking 'Share and Export' and 'Create public link'. Customize the headline and share the full chat or just prompt and response.

Great for collaborating and gathering feedback on Bard's capabilities.

Creating Shareable Links

To share a response:

• Click 'Share and Export'
• Select 'Create public link'
• Customize headline
• Share full chat or just prompt/response

Real-Time Hotel Search

Bard integrates directly with Google Hotels. Just provide travel dates and location and Bard will instantly pull up hotel recommendations with links to book. Adjust criteria like price range for the perfect match.

This makes travel planning much easier with real-time integrated data.

Integrated with Google Hotels

Steps for hotel search:

• Give Bard travel dates and destination
• Bard instantly recommends hotels with booking links
• Adjust search criteria like price for best match

Dark Mode and Response Settings

For customizable style, Bard offers Dark Mode for an elegant, distraction-free feel. Switch to Dark Mode in Settings.

Bard also has Real-Time and Respond on Submit response options. Real-Time shows text as it's written for a more natural chat while Submit waits until the full response is ready.

Customizing Look and Feel

• Enable Dark Mode in Settings for sleek style
• Response can be Real-Time or Submit
• Real-Time shows text as it's written

Conclusion

Bard has rapidly evolved since launch with new capabilities added through constant updates. Key features include summarizing YouTube videos, email, and web pages, identifying objects in images, integrating Google products for travel and hotel search, customizing responses, and more.

As Bard continues to improve, it will be exciting to see what other new features are added. For now, this guide covered the top abilities users may not know about to help you maximize what Bard can do.

FAQ

Q: How can I get text summaries of YouTube videos?
A: You can get insights into a YouTube video by providing Bard with the video URL and using the official video summary template.

Q: Can I listen to Bard's voice responses?
A: Yes, you can enable text-to-speech in Bard's settings to have the AI assistant read responses aloud.

Q: Does Bard summarize articles and webpages?
A: Yes, Bard can analyze web page content and provide summaries when you ask 'What is this article about?'

Q: Can I customize Bard's responses?
A: You have options to modify response length, style, and more to customize Bard's responses to your needs.