Google recently updated its AI chatbot, Bard, giving it the ability to help software developers and programmers in generating and debugging codes, as well as give an explanation for each line to better understand the source code.
This feature is something that many users have been requesting from Google, and the tech giant has finally made it into reality.
Bard Can Now Explain Code's Function; Supports 20 Programming Languages
According to the latest blog post from Google Research product manager Paige Bailey, Bard is now capable of helping users with their programming and software development tasks. Specifically, the AI model can generate a block of code for the users based on their needs, as well as debug an already existing code.
It's worth noting that users can ask Bard to debug a code that the AI chatbot wrote, hence giving more confidence that the code is indeed working. In case Bard flashes an error message or the generated code doesn't perform its function, users can simply type "this code didn't work, please fix it," and Bard will proceed with debugging the code.
Bard can also explain what a block of code is for. Google said that this feature is helpful for users who have just started learning about programming and software development. It will also help programmers understand their codes better by giving them an idea about what each code snippet will do after running their programs.
Bard's code generation and debugging abilities support more than 20 programming languages, which include C++, Go, Java, Javascript, Python and Typescript.
Programmers using Python language will now find it easier to export their codes to Google Colab without having to copy and paste the entire source code. Furthermore, Bard can now provide support in writing functions for those who are using Google Sheets.
Related Article: Google Says Bard was Not Trained Using ChatGPT
Bard's New Coding Ability to Make the AI Chatbot a Worthy ChatGPT Competitor
Even with the recent update of the AI chatbot, Bailey cautioned users to always double-check Bard's output, citing the possibility that the chatbot will produce codes that don't yield the expected output, or Bard will generate an incomplete code.
"Bard is still an early experiment, and may sometimes provide inaccurate, misleading or false information while presenting it confidently. When it comes to coding, Bard may give you working code that doesn't produce the expected output, or provide you with code that is not optimal or incomplete," Bailey stated in the blog post.
With the rise of AI models, Big Tech companies came up with their own AI chatbots to compete with each other. According to Tech Crunch, Bard is Google's effort to take on the leading AI languages in the industry today, particularly OpenAI's ChatGPT.
However, Bard has shown limitations in its capabilities, based on Tech Crunch's own testing of AI languages. Appending the code generation and debugging feature to Google's AI model is a great way to make Bard a worthy competitor of ChatGPT.
"With new coding capabilities, we're excited to apply generative AI to accelerate software development, inspire innovation, and help people solve complex engineering challenges," Bailey said.
