December 7, 2023 Google introduction of Gemini, an advanced large language model (LLM) powering Google Bard and other products has gained a lot of attention, particularly with its claims to having outperformed ChatGPT 3.5 in industry standard benchmarks.

Gemini’s Introduction and Bard’s Enhancement

Google unveiled Gemini in three sizes: Ultra, Pro, and Nano. Gemini Pro, specifically, has been integrated into Bard, enhancing its capabilities in reasoning, planning, and understanding. This integration has led to Bard outperforming GPT-3.5 in several industry-standard benchmarks. Currently, Bard with Gemini Pro is available in English in 170 countries, with plans for further expansion.

Google’s Competitive Edge in AI

Gemini’s design is multimodal, capable of recognizing and interacting with various formats like video, images, text, and voice. While Gemini Ultra is undergoing additional safety and testing, Gemini Pro is accessible to developers and enterprise customers through Google AI Studio or Google Cloud Vertex AI. Google also plans to introduce Bard Advanced, powered by Gemini Ultra, offering enhanced capabilities.

Mobile version debuts on Pixel 8 Pro

The Pixel 8 Pro now features Gemini Nano, a version of the AI model tailored for mobile devices. This upgrade enhances the phone’s Smart Reply in Gboard and the auto summarize feature in the Recorder app. Google claims these improvements are just the beginning of Gemini’s potential impact on Android devices, indicating a significant shift in how users interact with their smartphones.

Google’s Gemini update marks a significant advancement for Google’s AI technology, enhancing both its Bard chatbot and Pixel 8 Pro smartphone. How this will affect its competitive positioning and whether will truly put Google back in a leadership role in AI remains to be seen.

Sources include:
– ZDNet
– Axios
– ZDNet on Pixel 8 Pro