Google has unveiled an upgraded version of its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot in a bid to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The tech giant’s Google Deepmind division introduced Gemini, an enhancement to its previously launched Bard chatbot. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google’s parent company Alphabet, described the new AI technology as one of the company’s most significant science and engineering efforts to date. Gemini will enhance the coding and mathematical abilities of the existing Bard chatbot and enable it to recognize and describe images, video, and audio. Additionally, a streamlined version of the AI will operate directly on mobile phones, without requiring an internet connection.
Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google Deepmind, announced that advanced features of Gemini would initially be tested by a select group of customers. The technology will then be expanded widely in the early part of next year. Notably, UK government officials are expected to have advanced access to Google’s most powerful AI models as part of their collaboration with the AI Safety Institute.
Sissie Hsiao, General Manager of Google Bard, revealed that the company is conducting comprehensive safety checks and will soon launch a trusted tester program. Bard Advanced, the upgraded version of the chatbot, will subsequently be made available to more users early next year. While Google executives did not disclose the specifics of Gemini’s power, they claim it outperforms the free version of ChatGPT launched by OpenAI in November 2022.
Google has been racing to compete with ChatGPT, which has already attracted over one billion users each month to its web and smartphone applications. The sudden success of ChatGPT sparked urgency within Google as executives aimed to catch up with their smaller rival. The enhanced version of Bard will eventually be accessible in 170 countries, including the UK and Europe.
In conclusion, Google has announced the unveiling of Gemini, the upgraded AI chatbot, to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT. By enhancing the coding and mathematical abilities of its existing Bard chatbot and incorporating image, video, and audio recognition capabilities, Google aims to offer an advanced chatbot experience. The new technology will also work directly on mobile phones without internet connectivity. Following initial testing, Gemini will be widely available next year.
