Google was a sleeping AI giant, but this week it finally woke up. Google Gemini is here and it’s the tech giant’s most powerful set of AI tools yet. But Gemini, in true Google style, is also very confusing, so we’re here to sort it all out for you quickly.
Gemini is the new umbrella name for all of Google’s AI tools, from chatbots to voice assistants and full-fledged coding assistants. It replaces both Google Bard – the previous name for Google’s AI chatbot – and Duet AI, the name for Google’s Workspace-oriented rival to CoPilot Pro and ChatGPT Plus.
But this is also much more than just a rebranding. As part of the launch, Google has released a new free Google Gemini app for Android (in the US for now). For the first time, Google is also releasing its most powerful large language model (LLM) yet, called Gemini Ultra 1.0. You can play with that now too if you sign up for the new Google One AI Premium subscription (more on that below).
This is all pretty mind-boggling stuff, and we haven’t even scratched the surface of what you can actually do with these AI tools. So if you want a quick recharge to keep you up to date with everything Google Gemini is doing, use our easy-to-digest explanation below…
1. Gemini replaces Google Bard and Duet AI
In some ways, Google Gemini makes things simpler. It’s the new umbrella name for all of Google’s AI tools, whether you use a smartphone or desktop, or use the free or paid versions.
Gemini replaces Google Bard (the former name for Google’s “experimental” AI chatbot) and Duet AI, the collection of work-oriented tools for Google Workspace. Are you looking for a free AI helper to create images for you or recompose emails? You can now go to Google Gemini and use it with a standard Google account.
But if you want the more powerful Gemini Advanced AI tools – and access to Google’s latest Gemini Ultra LLM – you’ll have to pay a monthly subscription. That’s part of a Google One AI Premium Plan, which you can read more about below.
In summary, there are three main ways to access Google Gemini:
2. Gemini also replaces Google Assistant
As we mentioned above, Google has launched a new free version Gemini app for Android. This is now being rolled out in the US and Google says it will be “fully available in the coming weeks”, with more locations “coming soon”. Google is known for its broad definition of ‘soon’, so the UK and EU may have to be patient.
There will be a similar rollout for iOS and iPhones, but with a different approach. Instead of a separate, standalone app, Gemini will be available in the Google app.
The Android app is especially a big deal because you can set Gemini as your default voice assistant, replacing the existing Google Assistant. You can set this up during the app installation process, where you can tap “I agree” to have Gemini “handle tasks on your phone.”
Doing this means that when you summon a voice assistant on your Android phone – by long pressing the home button or saying “Hey Google” – you’ll speak to Gemini instead of Google Assistant. That said, there are indications that you might not want to do that just yet…
3. You might want to stick with Google Assistant (for now).
The Google Gemini app has only been out for a few days – and there are early signs of teething problems and limitations when it comes to using Gemini as a voice assistant.
The Play Store is flooding with complaints stating that Gemini asks you to tap ‘send’ even when using voice commands, and that it lacks functionality compared to Assistant, including not being able to handle hands-free reminders, control of home devices and more. We also found some bugs during our initial testing with the app.
Fortunately, you can switch back to the old Google Assistant. To do that, just go to the Gemini app, tap your profile in the top right corner, then go to Settings > Google Digital Assistants. Here you can choose between Gemini and Google Assistant.
Sissie Hsiao (Google’s VP and General Manager of Gemini Experiences) claims that Gemini is “an important first step in building a true AI assistant – one that is conversational, multimodal and helpful.” But right now it seems like the “first step” is doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
4. Gemini is a new way to test Google’s other apps
Like the now-retired Bard, Gemini is designed to be a kind of creative co-pilot if you need help with “writing, brainstorming, learning, and more,” as Google describes it. So just like before, you can ask him to tell a joke, rewrite an email, help with research and more.
As always, the usual caveats remain. Google is still quite clear that “Gemini will make mistakes” and that even though things are getting better every day, Gemini “may provide incorrect information, or even make offensive statements.”
This means that the other use case is potentially more interesting. Gemini is also a new way to interact with other Google services, such as YouTube, Google Maps and Gmail. Ask him to “suggest some popular tourist spots in Seattle” and he’ll show them in Google Maps.
Another example is the prompt to “find videos on how to quickly get grape juice out of a wool rug.” This means that Gemini is actually a more conversational way to interact with the likes of YouTube and Google Drive. It can now also generate images, a skill Bard learned last week before the name change.
5. The free version of Gemini has limitations
The free version of Gemini (which you access in the Google Gemini app on Android, in the Google app on iOS, or on the Gemini website) has quite a few limitations compared to the subscription-only Gemini Advanced.
This is partly because it’s based on a simpler large language model (LLM) called Gemini Pro, rather than Google’s new Gemini Ultra 1.0. Overall, the free version is less creative, less accurate, unable to answer multi-step questions, can’t really code, and has more limited data processing powers.
This means the free version is best for basic things like answering simple questions, summarizing emails, creating images, and (as we discussed above) testing Google’s other natural language services.
Looking for an AI assistant that can help with advanced coding, complex creative projects and can also work directly within Gmail and Google Docs? Google Gemini Advanced could be for you, especially if you’re already subscribed to Google One…
6. Gemini Advanced is tempting for Google One users
The Gemini Advanced plan costs $19.99 / £18.99 / AU$32.99 per month, although you can currently get a two-month free trial. Confusingly, you get Advanced by paying for a new one Google One AI Premium subscriptionincluding 2 TB cloud storage.
This means that Gemini Advanced is especially tempting if you’re already paying for a Google One cloud storage subscription (or want to sign up for one anyway). With a 2TB Google One subscription already costing $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$12.49 per month, that means the AI features will essentially set you back $10 / £11 / AU$20 per additional month.
There’s even better news for those who already have a Google One subscription with 5TB of storage or more. Google says you can “enjoy AI Premium features at no additional cost until July 21, 2024.”
This means that Google, in a similar style to Amazon Prime, is combining its subscription offerings (cloud storage and the most powerful AI assistant) to make them both more attractive (and most likely sticky too).
7. It may take some time for the Gemini app to reach the UK and EU
Although Google has stated that the Gemini Android app will be “coming soon” to “more countries and languages”, it has not yet given a timetable for when that will happen – and one possible reason for the delay is that it is waiting for the EU AI law become clearer.
Sissie Hsiao (VP and General Manager of Google’s Gemini Experiences) told the MIT Technology Review “We are working with local regulators to ensure we adhere to local regime requirements before we can expand.”
While that sounds a bit ominous, Hsiao added: “Rest assured, we are absolutely working on it and I hope we can announce expansion very soon.” So if you’re in the UK or EU, you’ll have to settle for tinkering with the website version for now.
Given the early reviews of the Google Gemini Android app and its inconsistencies as a replacement for Google Assistant, that might be for the best anyway.