Google makes its Gemini chatbot faster and more widely available
In an effort to keep up with competitors like Anthropic and OpenAI in the field of generative AI technology, Google is unveiling updates to its no-fee tier of Gemini, its AI-powered chatbot. These updates are aimed at enhancing the platform's performance and expanding its availability.
Improved Performance and Availability
Google is introducing Gemini 1.5 Flash, a lightweight multimodal model that was initially announced in May. This new version will now be accessible on both web and mobile platforms, supporting 40 languages and reaching approximately 230 countries. According to Google, Gemini 1.5 Flash brings enhancements in quality and latency, particularly in reasoning and image comprehension.
Compared to the previous Gemini 1.5 Pro model, Google describes Gemini 1.5 Flash as a more streamlined and efficient version tailored for specific, high-frequency generative AI tasks. By optimizing the performance of the chatbot platform, Google hopes to not only improve user experience but also reduce operational costs.
Enhanced Features
Google is expanding the context window of Gemini to 32,000 tokens, allowing for more comprehensive data processing. This extended context capacity enables the model to analyze longer text inputs, enhancing its summarization and reasoning capabilities.
File Upload Capabilities
Prior to this update, file uploads for analysis were limited to users of Gemini Advanced, the paid version of Gemini. However, Google is now planning to enable file uploads from Google Drive and local devices for all Gemini users. This feature will allow users to upload data files for analysis and visualization, opening up new possibilities for leveraging the chatbot's capabilities.
Addressing Challenges
To tackle issues like hallucinations, where AI models generate inaccurate or misleading content, Google is introducing a feature that displays links to related web content below certain responses generated by Gemini. This feature aims to provide users with additional context and verification for the information provided by the chatbot.
Expanding Accessibility
Google is extending the availability of Gemini in Messages to more regions, including the European Economic Area, U.K., and Switzerland, with support for additional languages. The company is also launching the Gemini mobile app in more countries and expanding access to teenagers worldwide.
Furthermore, Google is introducing a teen-focused Gemini experience, allowing students to use the chatbot with their school accounts. To ensure the safety and responsible use of AI technology among teens, Google is implementing new policies, safeguards, and educational resources.
