Last week, Google announced a significant rebranding for Bard, now known as Gemini. Alongside this rebranding, Gemini introduced Gemini Advanced, a subscription service priced at $20 per month, granting users access to Gemini Advanced, the company’s most powerful AI assistant yet. This move signals Gemini’s deep commitment to AI, with CEO Sundar Pichai stating that the new name “reflects our overall approach in creating the most capable and responsible AI models.”
In an exclusive interview with CNBC, Pichai elaborated on the rationale behind the rebrand. “It made sense to evolve it into Gemini, as that’s the underlying Gemini model when you use it,” he explained. “I believe that as we continue to advance our models, users will directly experience it.”
Gemini is launching apps on both iOS and Android to ensure easy access to its AI assistant. Android users even have the option to replace Google Assistant with Gemini as the default assistant, effectively placing Gemini in the spotlight over Google Assistant.
Gemini Advanced is positioned as Gemini’s response to ChatGPT Plus. For $20 per month, subscribers gain access to Gemini Ultra 1.0, described by Pichai as Gemini’s most advanced model yet, excelling in handling complex queries and tasks such as coding.
Pichai highlighted a significant breakthrough when Ultra successfully interpreted a series of images as a video, demonstrating its ability to answer related questions. However, he acknowledged that safely training Ultra at scale posed a significant challenge, yet he believes it represents the future frontier of AI.
Gemini will also power AI features across productivity apps like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets, formerly marketed as Duet AI but now under the Gemini brand.
Moreover, there’s a toggle in the Gemini app allowing users to switch between classic search and conversational Gemini search, which Pichai sees as an opportunity for search to address new use cases more effectively.
The launch of Gemini Advanced positions Gemini in direct competition with Microsoft, which recently invested heavily in OpenAI. When asked about this rivalry, Pichai emphasized Gemini’s focus on developing the best products for users.
Pichai himself has been testing Ultra 1.0, using it to improve coding skills and write real estate listings. He shared an example where Ultra analyzed images of a house and crafted a better listing than humans could.
In summary, Gemini signifies Google’s commitment to becoming an AI-first company. The new services and rebranding place Gemini at the forefront of consumer and enterprise AI products.