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What Happened: One of the product managers of Google Bard posted on the Bard subreddit, asking them what is on their wishlist for the ChatGPT-rival in this new year.
Among the post's most upvoted comments were for feature requests like integrating Bard into the Assistant for all devices. This feature is already being worked upon, as announced by Google during the Pixel launch in Oct. 2023.
Other features requested by users include a standalone Bard app, instead of using the website, just like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft's Copilot.
While integrating Bard in Google Assistant will make it widely available on Android since it is pre-installed on all Android devices, the situation on iOS is slightly different. Google Assistant does not come pre-installed on iOS devices, so it might be worth it for the company to launch a standalone Bard app.
Another user request that has received plenty of upvotes is a demand for toning down censorship. Users also want Google to ensure Bard does not hallucinate as much as it does now.
"Persistent memory" is another feature that users want. Persistent memory allows Bard to keep the original instructions in mind, especially during a lengthy conversation.
This can be useful if a user is trying to debug code and Bard needs to keep the original instruction set or needs to consider inputs from multiple files.
It can also prove to be useful if you use Bard to write a book or a short play that involves several people.
Why It Matters: Google Bard is shaping up to be one of the more mainstream competitors to ChatGPT, especially when considering the more consumer-facing services in mind.
While Bard has received multiple new features like the ability to summarize emails and or answering questions based on YouTube videos, it still lags ChatGPT which offers a range of features like custom GPTs, generating images, and more.
