Google AI’s latest model Gemini Pro is now available for European users, following its successful launch in the United States last month. The Gemini Pro, which is one of Google’s largest artificial intelligence models, is an upgrade to Bard and offers a multimodal capability to understand and combine different types of information such as text, code, audio, image, and video.
With the introduction of Gemini Pro, Google aims to compete with OpenAI’s popular chatbot ChatGPT. The company highlights Gemini’s impressive performance in various capability tests, including reasoning, image understanding, and coding. Gemini Pro is considered the most versatile tool, while Gemini Ultra, the largest model, is capable of handling more complex tasks. Gemini Nano, on the other hand, is ideal for on-device work.
The launch of Gemini was announced by Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai in December 2023. This advanced AI model is now available in 40 countries and over 230 countries and territories, expanding its reach to a global scale.
Google’s expansion into the European market with Gemini Pro follows a trend of delayed product launches in the region. Notably, Google Pay was introduced in the US in 2018 but faced delays in Europe until 2020 due to concerns related to market dominance and compliance with regional payment regulations.
Similarly, the release of the chatbot Bard in Europe was pushed back to July 2023, four months after its availability in the US and UK. The concerns raised by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) regarding privacy played a role in the delayed launch. The European Union’s strong data privacy regulations, like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), have strict requirements for collecting, processing, and storing personal data.
EU states are currently engaged in discussions about the future AI Act, which aims to protect users from potential AI abuses. This legislation includes provisions addressing the regulation of AI technologies.
Gemini Pro’s availability in Europe comes at a time when various AI tools are being introduced to the wider public. Companies are competing to offer unique features and capabilities with their own chatbot offerings. For instance, Anthropic, a company founded by former OpenAI employees, emphasizes the trustworthiness and limited misleading responses of its Chatbot Claude. Meanwhile, Bard and ChatGPT are contending to become the most popular AI chatbots.
Google’s introduction of Gemini Pro in Europe demonstrates its commitment to delivering advanced AI models to users worldwide. By catering to the needs of European users, Google aims to provide access to cutting-edge AI capabilities while complying with strict data privacy regulations and market requirements.
In conclusion, Gemini Pro’s availability in Europe marks another significant milestone in Google’s AI endeavors. This expansion enables European users to leverage the power of Gemini Pro’s multimodal capabilities across various domains, competing with other popular AI chatbot offerings in the market. As AI continues to evolve, the race among companies to innovate and provide unique features remains ever-present. Google’s launch of Gemini Pro demonstrates its commitment to delivering advanced AI solutions while adhering to regulatory frameworks and ensuring user data privacy.
