Google Imagen AI Image Generation Coming to Bard (Apparently)

It seems Google will soon bring AI image-generative capabilities to Google Bard. 

According to information recently leaked on X, the tech giant plans to add functionality from its proprietary AI image generation model – Google Imagen– to its AI chatbot product. 

If this is true, Google would be effectively catching up to OpenAI and Microsoft, which added AI image generation to their respective text-based models, ChatGPT and Copilot, over the course of the last year. This would also mean Google Imagen would now have an end-user-oriented application, as it has limited access through Google’s Search Generative Experience service and is strongly enterprise-focused. 

Google Bard with Google Imagen Integration?

Last week, a person named Dylan Roussel shared a tip on X (formerly Twitter) on Google’s plans to add text-to-image generation on Bard. The leak included a screenshot from a Google changelog informing of the newly added feature, dated January 18, 2023 –a day after Roussel’s leak post. However, as of today, January 22, 2023, such functionality is neither available nor reported on Google Bard. 

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It’s presumed that the company will be integrating its proprietary diffusion models for AI image generation, Google Imagen, into Bard to allow users to create custom images from text prompts. 

Staff at PetaPixel even consulted Bard itself on the veracity of this news, and the chatbot seemingly confirmed the landing of AI image generation on its service, although with no release date. Take that as you will. 

What Would This Mean for Googe Bard Users?

Obviously, if the leak is confirmed by facts, Google Bard users will be able to generate images based on text descriptions in the platform instead of only being able to use it as a conversational AI assistant tool. 

As Google Imagen capabilities have so far been mostly gatekept within the firm’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) service for enterprises, this would give end-users and individuals a chance to make more and better use of these models for image generation. 

It’s worth noting that Imagen was upgraded at the end of 2023 and is now said to be capable of producing high-quality imagery, plus counting with multiple safeguards to ensure it doesn’t create potentially harmful content. 

What Would This Mean for the AI App Sphere?

By doing this, Google would put Bard on par with competitor language model tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot, both of which integrated AI image generative models into its features last years. 

We can only wait and see if this tip is confirmed by Google. Meanwhile, do you use Google Bard? Would you like to have an AI image generator within it? Share your thoughts!

THE AUTHOR

Ivanna Attie

All About Ivanna

I am an experienced author with expertise in digital communication, stock media, design, and creative tools. I have closely followed and reported on AI developments in this field since its early days. I have gained valuable industry insight through my work with leading digital media professionals since 2014.

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