February has been an interesting month for AI! One of the newest developments has come from Google.
Google just announced that it has released a new AI assistant called “Ultra 1.0”. This is going to make things easier for people and businesses in many ways. Precedence Research reports that organizations already spent $4.28 billion in 2023 on AI virtual assistants last year. This figure is likely to rise as more people discover the benefits of Google’s new AI assistant.
New AI Assistant is Going to Offer Huge Benefits
Google announced on Thursday that its AI assistant, formerly known as Bard, has been rebranded as “Gemini.” This change reflects the integration of the underlying AI language model launched by Google in December. Alongside this rebranding, Google unveiled its latest and most advanced AI model, Ultra 1.0, as part of the new “Gemini Advanced” subscription feature, priced at $20/month.
Understanding Google’s updated naming conventions and accessing the new model can be somewhat convoluted. To simplify, imagine an AI application like Google Bard as a car brand capable of swapping different engines under the hood. It functions as an AI assistant—a user-friendly interface for employing various AI “engines.”
When Bard debuted in March 2023, it utilized the LaMDA language model. In May 2023, Google upgraded Bard to PaLM 2, and in December, to Gemini Pro. Initially, Google announced Gemini in three sizes: Nano, Pro, and Ultra, each representing increasing processing capability. Up until now, the Pro version was the most powerful publicly available.
However, the recent rebranding adds a layer of complexity. Bard is now known as Gemini, maintaining its role as an AI assistant capable of writing, coding, and image generation. By default, it operates on the “Pro” model (including the free version). But with a subscription to “Gemini Advanced,” users gain access to Gemini Ultra (renamed “Ultra 1.0”), Google’s most sophisticated AI model. To access Gemini Advanced, users must sign up for Google One, a subscription service costing $19.99/month. Originally a cloud storage service, Google One now includes AI capabilities as part of its offerings.
To test Gemini Advanced (Ultra 1.0), we subscribed to Google One. Upon upgrading, users can visit gemini.google.com to access the AI assistant, with the option to switch between “Gemini” and “Gemini Advanced” via a drop-down menu in the web interface’s upper-left corner (similar to switching between GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 in ChatGPT). We posed several standard questions from Ars Technica to evaluate its capabilities.
What Does This New Chatbot Mean for the Future of AI?
Google’s Ultra 1.0 chatbot marks a significant breakthrough in the field of artificial intelligence. As the latest iteration of Google’s AI technology, Ultra 1.0 showcases unprecedented capabilities in natural language understanding and generation. Its advanced architecture enables more nuanced conversations, allowing users to interact with the AI in a manner that feels remarkably human-like. With Ultra 1.0, Google has pushed the boundaries of AI, demonstrating substantial progress in creating chatbots that can comprehend complex queries, provide contextually relevant responses, and engage users in meaningful dialogue.
Moreover, Google’s Ultra 1.0 chatbot represents a leap forward in AI accessibility and usability. By integrating Ultra 1.0 into its Gemini platform and offering it as part of the Gemini Advanced subscription service, Google has made cutting-edge AI technology more readily available to users. This democratization of advanced AI not only empowers individuals and businesses with powerful tools for tasks such as writing, coding, and image generation but also fosters innovation across various industries. With Ultra 1.0, Google is not only advancing the capabilities of AI but also ensuring that these advancements are accessible to a broader audience, driving the integration of AI into everyday life and transforming the way we interact with technology.