Google Gemini: Everything you need to know about the generative AI suite
Google’s trying to make waves with Gemini, its flagship suite of generative AI models, apps, and services. But what’s Gemini? How can you use it? And how does it stack up to other generative AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Meta’s Llama, and Microsoft’s Copilot?
What is Gemini?
To make it easier to keep up with the latest Gemini developments, we’ve put together this handy guide, which we’ll keep updated as new Gemini models, features, and news about Google’s plans for Gemini are released.
Gemini is Google’s long-promised, next-gen generative AI model family. Developed by Google’s AI research labs DeepMind and Google Research, it comes in four flavors:
- Gemini One
- Gemini Pro
- Gemini Plus
- Gemini Advanced
Training and Capabilities
All Gemini models were trained to be natively multimodal — that is, able to work with and analyze more than just text. Google says they were pre-trained and fine-tuned on a variety of public, proprietary, and licensed audio, images, and videos; a set of codebases; and text in different languages.
This sets Gemini apart from models such as Google’s own LaMDA, which was trained exclusively on text data. LaMDA can’t understand or generate anything beyond text, but that isn’t necessarily the case with Gemini models.
Usage and Pricing
To take advantage of most of Gemini's features, you’ll need the Google One AI Premium Plan. Technically a part of Google One, the AI Premium Plan costs $20 and provides access to Gemini in Google Workspace apps like Docs, Maps, Slides, Sheets, Drive, and Meet. It also enables what Google calls Gemini Advanced, which brings the company’s more sophisticated Gemini models to the Gemini apps.
Gemini Advanced users get extras like priority access to new features, the ability to run and edit Python code directly in Gemini, and a larger “context window.” Gemini Advanced can remember the content of — and reason across — roughly 750,000 words in a conversation.
Gemini Features
Google also offers Gemini Advanced users a memory feature, that allows the chatbot to use your old conversations with Gemini as context for your current conversation. Gemini Advanced users also get increased usage for NotebookLM, the company’s product that turns PDFs into AI-generated podcasts.
Another Gemini Advanced exclusive is trip planning in Google Search, which creates custom travel itineraries from prompts.
Conclusion
Gemini's reach extends to various Google services and platforms, offering advanced AI capabilities for a range of tasks. As Google continues to develop and expand the Gemini suite, it's clear that generative AI is becoming an integral part of the tech giant's ecosystem.
