Google is cleaning up its artificial intelligence applications a little. Exit Bard, hello Gemini, a generative AI application that Google promises to be at least as effective as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and which is available in Canada as of Thursday.
It was Google’s DeepMind AI subsidiary that gave birth to this new artificial intelligence model, which officially debuted last December. Gemini comes in three versions: the most powerful is called Gemini Ultra, while the regular version is called Gemini Pro. A compact version, designed to stand alone on a mobile device, is called Gemini Nano.
According to Google, Gemini Ultra is the expanded language model (LLM) that best understands natural language. In tests, it would do even better than humans at understanding conversations and solving problems involving mathematics, physics, history, law and medicine.
What Google is announcing today is the integration of its Bard AI application into Gemini, which will now only go by that name. Gemini also becomes officially available in Canada in French and English, in addition to being accessible in around forty languages worldwide, including in other countries where Bard was not yet offered, notably in certain countries of the European Union. Google has so far cited fears that its AI will not comply with the proposed laws governing AI.
Gemini Advanced
Imitating OpenAI and its ChatGPT Plus application, Google also announces the launch of Gemini Advanced, a more powerful version of its AI which will be powered by Gemini Ultra 1.0, and which will be included in the Google One AI Premium Plan subscription package. This plan is offered in English only at the moment and costs $27 per month.
The AI applications integrated into Google’s office suite, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Gmail, which until now were called Duet AI, will also be integrated into Gemini and can be used exclusively by people subscribed to Gemini Advanced.
Google is rushing to offer Gemini in its work tools because Microsoft, under its agreement with OpenAI, has taken a head start in this niche with its own AI application called Copilot, which is based on the model GPT language of the latter. A few days ago, Microsoft also announced the introduction of Copilot Pro, a more powerful version of its generative AI that users can access by paying $27 per month.
Copilot also exists as an application for Android mobile devices, iPhone, as well as Mac and PC. Google plans to go one step further with a mobile version of Gemini – for its Android platform – shortly.
Speaking of productivity, Google sees enormous economic potential in Canada for its AI. The Californian giant calculates that if its use became widespread, no less than $210 billion in new economic activities would be added to the national GDP.