Google’s highly anticipated AI model, Gemini, is facing a delay in its release. The company has decided to postpone the launch until at least January to improve language support, which means developers will have more time to enhance its capabilities in handling a wider range of languages.
Gemini, announced earlier this year, is set to replace Google’s current generation PaLM 2 foundation model, which powers various Google AI tools such as YouTube experiments, Bard, and Duet AI tools in Workspace. With the aim of showcasing its performance against OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google had planned in-person launch events. However, these events have now been canceled, allowing developers to focus on strengthening Gemini’s language skills.
It has been reported that the delay was prompted by Gemini’s struggles in accurately processing non-English queries. Given Google’s global reach and the intended incorporation of Gemini across its product range, as well as the competition with OpenAI’s GPT-4, the decision to delay the launch events in favor of further refinement was considered necessary.
Initially, California, New York, and Washington were set to host the high-profile events, providing an opportunity for developers and journalists to interact with Gemini. However, Google has opted for a virtual demonstration instead, keeping the launch low-key.
The launch events were a crucial component of Google’s strategy for Gemini, which is still slated for release in January. The intention was to demonstrate how Gemini compares to its counterpart GPT-4, shed light on product development implications, and highlight Google’s future direction with AI.
Gemini is viewed as Google’s most significant AI project since the merger of its own AI division with UK-based research lab DeepMind. Google believes that Gemini is on par with GPT-4, the technology powering ChatGPT, and expects both Bard and Google Assistant to experience substantial improvements as a result.
Earlier this year, a leaked internal document written by a Google engineer revealed concerns about the company losing its AI edge to the open-source community, which has the agility to rapidly refine its lean products. In response, Google eliminated the waiting list for Bard but faced privacy-related challenges that led to the European launch being delayed.
Although another delay in a high-profile AI launch may initially seem embarrassing, Google’s commitment to getting it right the first time is apparent. It also underscores the company’s emphasis on globalization as the AI race continues into the new year.
As Google invests additional time in perfecting Gemini’s language support, industry observers eagerly await its release and the competition it will fuel in the rapidly evolving field of AI language models. With the postponed launch events and virtual demonstration, Google aims to firmly establish Gemini’s standing in comparison to OpenAI’s GPT-4, while also showcasing its dedication to providing global language support.
