Google Bard’samazing capabilities were a major talking point for Google at itsannual developer conferenceearlier this year. The company also announced expanded geographic availability of the AI chatbot, but all countries in theEU were surprisingly absentfrom the list. At the time, we speculated that local regulations might be the root cause, and now we’re getting official confirmation of the same.
Google was planning to introduce Bard in the EU this week, butPoliticoreports the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC)’s Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle had to step in to confirm the AI won’t be launching this week. The Irish DPC is Google’s primary supervisor under GDPR, and it says the company hasn’t yet provided adequate documentation like a data protection impact assessment or a briefing outlining how the privacy of EU users will be protected.
The DPC has also asked Google additional questions and is investigating Bard’s policies. The findings will later be shared with other members of the EU. Commenting on the matter, a Google spokesperson said the company wants to roll out Bard responsibly after discussing the technicalities with lawmakers, regulators, and experts. The company also expressed eagerness to answer the EU’s questions, so Bard can finally expand to that region.
However, the EU has beenmulling new regulationstailored to keep the AI boom in check. This could further hinder Bard’s expansion plans if they are tabled before the two parties come up with an arrangement. To be fair, other AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT are also off to a shaky start in the EU.
Given that Google has itself been in and out ofhot water with EU regulatorsover various issues and lawsuits in recent years, the company will probably want to tread with caution in this case. After all, if it satisfies the EU with Bard’s data handling policies, it could be smooth sailing for future Google AI ventures destined for the EU. Until then, Bard’s future, and release timeline, hangs in the balance.
