Google just opened up access to Bard, its generative AI product, via a waitlist today. However, you won’t be able to use Bard, or even sign up for that waitlist if you have a Google Workspace account.
The requirements to use Bard during its early access period are not particularly strict. For instance, Bard will work on most browsers, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Apple’s Safari. That’s certainly more flexible than what Bing has been doing with its GPT-4-powered AI experience.
One limit that rules out a lot of younger users is age. Google says that you need to be at least 18 years old to use Bard. That makes sense, given Google directly warns that, like other generative AI tools, Bard can sometimes go a little off the rails and deliver inaccurate or even offensive responses.
But perhaps the biggest restriction is that, at least for now, Google Bard doesn’t work with Google Workspace accounts.
If your Google account is managed by and organization (or parent/guardian) it can’t be used for Bard. This includes Workspace accounts that utilize a custom domain instead of “@gmail.com” for Gmail and Google sign-in. Attempting to use a Workspace account on Bard shows the error message below.
It’s not entirely clear why this restriction is in place, especially with Google’s clear vision for generative AI in Workspace products, but the fact is that it is in place as of today. We suspect this may change over time, but it’s hard to tell at this point.
More on Google Bard:
- Google opens early access to Bard AI today
- Bard AI could cost 10x as much as traditional keyword search
- Report: Google asking employees to help train Bard by rewriting wrong answers
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