Google Bard is now Gemini as Android gets new AI assistant

8 Feb 2024

Image: Google

Gemini will give users access to the search giant’s ‘largest and most capable’ AI model built to date.

Google is renaming its flagship AI chatbot Bard to Gemini in a major rebranding of its artificial intelligence offering.

In an announcement today (8 February), the search giant revealed the rebranding and announced a new app called Gemini for Android, which Google describes as an assistant that uses generative AI to “collaborate with you and help you get things done”.

“Our mission with Bard has always been to give you direct access to our AI models, and Gemini represents our most capable family of models. To reflect this, Bard will now simply be known as Gemini,” the company wrote.

“You can already chat with Gemini with our Pro 1.0 model in over 40 languages and more than 230 countries and territories. And now, we’re bringing you two new experiences – Gemini Advanced and a mobile app – to help you easily collaborate with the best of Google AI.”

Google said that Gemini Advanced will give users access to Ultra 1.0, described as the company’s “largest and most capable” AI model to date.

“In blind evaluations with our third-party raters, Gemini Advanced with Ultra 1.0 is now the most preferred chatbot compared to leading alternatives,” Google wrote.

“Gemini Advanced is far more capable at highly complex tasks like coding, logical reasoning, following nuanced instructions and collaborating on creative projects.”

According to Google, the model not only allows users to have longer and more detailed conversations than Bard, but also understands context better from previous prompts.

“This first version of Gemini Advanced reflects our current advances in AI reasoning and will continue to improve,” Google went on. “As we add new and exclusive features, Gemini Advanced users will have access to expanded multimodal capabilities, more interactive coding features, deeper data analysis capabilities and more.”

Gemini Advanced is now available in English in more than 150 countries and territories, and Google has plans to expand its reach over time. Available in 40 languages, Gemini will also be available on the Google app on iOS devices.

Gemini was first revealed to the world in December, when Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced three versions of the AI model – Ultra, Pro and Nano – to take on OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

“However, Gemini is evolving to be more than just the models,” Pichai said today. “It supports an entire ecosystem – from the products that billions of people use every day, to the APIs and platforms helping developers and businesses innovate.”

In the aftermath of the launch of ChatGPT, the search giant was concerned that an AI-powered tool that browses the web could replace Google’s dominant search engine, putting a considerable dent in its profits.

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Vish Gain is a journalist with Silicon Republic

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