GOOGLE JUST RELEASED THE GEMINI AI MODEL. Do you want to try it for free? Right now, a version of the model known as Gemini Pro is available within the Bard chatbot. In addition, anyone with a Pixel 8 Pro can now use a version of Gemini in their AI-suggested text replies with WhatsApp and, in the future, with Gboard.
Gemini is currently only available in a sliver. Future releases are expected to include multimodal capabilities, in which a chatbot processes multiple types of input and produces different types of output. Bard now only has the text-based version.
Gemini is also only available in English, though Google plans to add support for other languages in the near future. Gemini, like previous generative AI updates from Google, is currently unavailable in the European Union.
Despite its opulent name, the Gemini Pro update for Bard is completely free to use. ChatGPT allows you to access older AI models for free, but the most recent model, GPT-4, requires a monthly subscription. Gemini’s future plans are still unknown. Google teased that its improved model, Gemini Ultra, will be available in 2024, and will first be available inside an upgraded chatbot called Bard Advanced. Although no subscription plan has been announced as of yet, but for comparison, a monthly subscription to ChatGPT Plus with GPT-4 costs $20.
How to use Google Gemini Pro
Have you already created a Google account? Using Gemini within Bard is as simple as going to the website and logging in. If you do not want to create an account, you will not be able to access Bard. Users with Google Workspace accounts may need to switch to a personal email account in order to try Gemini.
Remember that this is all an experiment for the time being, and you may notice some software glitches in your chatbot responses. When it works, one of Bard’s current strengths is its integration with other Google services. In your prompt, include @Gmail to have the chatbot summarize your daily messages, or @YouTube to explore topics with videos. Our previous Bard chatbot tests revealed the potential for these integrations, but there are still some kinks to work out.
So, how does the upcoming Gemini Ultra differ from the current Gemini Pro model? According to Google, Ultra is its “most capable mode” and is intended to handle complex tasks involving text, images, audio, video, and code. The smaller version of the AI model, Gemini Nano, is designed to work as part of smartphone features and is now available in the Pixel 8 Pro for WhatsApp replies.
Keep in mind the things you probably already know about chatbots as you experiment with Gemini Pro in Bard, such as their reputation for lying. Don’t know where to begin with your prompts? Check out our guide to writing better Google Bard prompts.