Google rebrands its ChatGPT-style chatbot as Gemini, elevating its presence across products amid escalating AI competition with Microsoft. This shift from Bard follows a year of Google’s rapid deployment of the chatbot, aiming to keep pace with Microsoft’s Bing chatbot, developed in collaboration with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
Since their inception, the chatbots have evolved to produce both text and image responses to basic prompts, utilizing data gathered from the internet.
Crucially, Gemini will now be easily accessible via a prominent link within Google’s iPhone app, highlighting its growing importance as a core element of the user experience alongside search.
Additionally, Google is introducing Gemini Ultra 1.0, its most robust generative AI model yet, offered as an advanced chatbot subscription priced at $20 per month in 150 countries, albeit exclusively in English.
The less advanced Gemini and Gemini Advanced versions will be standalone applications for Android devices and integrated into the Google app for iPhones.
At present, these applications are unavailable in Europe, as the company navigates regulatory challenges in the region.
Google’s announcement followed closely on the heels of Microsoft’s unveiling of its revamped Copilot app, formerly known as the Bing chatbot.
Microsoft revealed plans to air an advertisement during Sunday’s Super Bowl to promote the standalone Copilot app.
Despite lingering doubts regarding the long-term utility of generative AI chatbots, both Google and Microsoft emphasize their products’ capacity to foster creativity on the internet.
