Google has recently rebranded its chatbot—Bard—to Gemini, in a move that reflects its prospects and highlights the fact that the tech giant’s primary AI chatbot now runs on cutting-edge technology. Google Gemini is among the world’s leading large language models, with some of the most extensive generative AI capabilities powered by a vast training dataset. Google has been locked into a competition with rival OpenAI, which has thus far had an upper hand in the global AI race with its chief offering, ChatGPT. Bard had a rocky start with conflicting reviews, but Google’s consistent stream of updates has since made up for those early setbacks. Now that Google Bard has adopted the Gemini Pro model, the firm wants its users to associate the chatbot with its underlying LLM.
The rebranding also underscores Google’s broader AI push, which has been an ongoing effort to produce several customer-facing AI services for the firm and concretize its footing in the space. With Google Bard’s Gemini transition, the chatbot will come with a few changes, but the overarching features will remain the same. However, Gemini might still identify itself as Bard for a while longer, given that the model might take some time to adapt to its new moniker and identity. Since competitors like OpenAI have also been on a consistent journey to upgrade ChatGPT with more advanced models such as GPT-4 Turbo, Google Bard’s Gemini rebrand will certainly work to communicate the chatbot’s enhanced features better.
Bard, Gemini Pro, and Other Key Changes
Gemini essentially hosts most of the features presented by Bard.
Google introduced a variety of other changes, including transitioning Bard to its new name. While the publicly available edition of the Gemini LLM on Bard is the Pro variant, Google also launched the Gemini Ultra model—a major development most tech observers and enthusiasts have been waiting for. Moreover, Google Duet, the AI assistant within the firm’s productivity applications such as Docs, Sheets, and Gmail, will also switch to Gemini and begin using the LLM to provide suggestions, summaries, and assistance within the Google productivity suite. In what the company refers to as a transition to a true AI assistant, Gemini will also replace Google Assistant, the AI application that has been available on several mobile devices. The multimodality aspect of the Gemini models will allow users to deploy a wider range of prompts and summon their AI assistants for a richer experience on their handheld devices.
Most importantly, Google has launched mobile applications for users to access Gemini on both Android and iOS. While the apps currently remain restricted to the United States, a broader release in other parts of the world such as Japan, the rest of Asia, and the Pacific is set to occur shortly. Google is also working on launching the application in more languages besides English. By improving the accessibility of the chatbot, Google is finally taking it to the next level to compete better with its rivals, such as ChatGPT and Claude 2.1, which have also been making several improvements. Since hallucinations have been a problem with most LLMs and chatbots, Google has added a “double-check” feature that will essentially let Gemini users check the web to confirm the data the chatbot provides.
Gemini Advanced, Ultra 1.0, and One AI Premium
A robotic hand operating a holographic screen
Google has also announced Gemini Advanced (formerly known as Google Bard Advanced) alongside the launch of Ultra 1.0 (Gemini Ultra), which happens to be Google’s most state-of-the-art variant of the Gemini language model. Ultra 1.0 is capable of performing complex computations, advanced coding, analytics, and more. Google has offered access to Gemini Advanced, which uses the Ultra 1.0 model, via the One AI Premium subscription. Since the Ultra 1.0 model has greater context length, it can process longer and more complex prompts when compared to the Gemini Pro model, which is available in the publicly accessible version. With advanced deep learning protocols, Google has also enabled Ultra 1.0 to understand prompts while also considering older conversations, and has imbued the LLM with contextual capabilities.
Google has begun offering the One AI Premium subscription with a free 2-month trial to help users get started. Confirming older reports of Google introducing a paid offering, Gemini Advanced, accessible through the One AI Premium membership, will be available for $20 per month, which is comparable to that of ChatGPT Plus’ current plan. Gemini will also be able to generate images now that the model is integrated with Google’s Imagen 2 model, much like ChatGPT is linked with Dall-E 3 to provide a truly multimodal experience to users. The One AI subscription is available in 150 countries at the time of writing, albeit in English. More languages are expected to be added in the coming months as the service expands.
The Future of Google Gemini AI and the Gemini Chatbot
Gemini will remain the face of Google’s AI offerings and applications.
Google Bard’s Gemini rebranding has come at a time when Google has been intent on monetizing its offerings. The firm has been developing advanced AI products for several years now, and since AI-generated content has picked up steam, the firm seems to be positioning itself to make the best of a galvanized market. Besides experimental offerings like Search Generative Experience and other tools like NotebookLM, Gemini will be the face of Google’s AI projects and offerings. With some of the most cutting-edge LLMs in the world, Google has begun challenging long-time rival OpenAI on a level footing, setting the stage for continued rivalry in the AI market.
FAQs
1. What is the price for Google’s One AI Premium subscription that offers access to Gemini Advanced?
Google will charge a monthly subscription fee of $20 for One AI Premium. The subscription includes access to the Ultra 1.0 model that powers Gemini Advanced.
2. What language model does Gemini use?
Google Gemini uses the Gemini Pro model on the publicly available version, while Gemini Advanced deploys the Ultra 1.0 (formerly Gemini Ultra) model.
3. How can users access Google Gemini?
Users can either access Google Gemini via browser or use the newly launched mobile applications for Android and iOS.