In the fierce competition with generative AI giants like Anthropic and OpenAI, Google has announced a comprehensive upgrade to its AI chatbot, Gemini. This update focuses on enhancing platform performance and expanding its availability. Let's take a look at the significant changes.
Multilingual Support, Global Coverage
Starting this Thursday, Gemini 1.5 Flash (Google's lightweight multi-modal model released in May) will support 40 languages on both web and mobile devices, covering approximately 230 countries and regions. Google states that Gemini 1.5 Flash has seen significant improvements in quality and response speed, especially in reasoning and image understanding.
This upgrade not only enhances user experience but may also reduce Google's operational costs. Described as a "lite" and efficient version of Gemini 1.5 Pro, Gemini 1.5 Flash is designed for "narrowband," "high-frequency" generative AI workloads.
Source: google
Expanded Context Window, File Upload Feature
In addition to the new foundational model, Google has expanded Gemini's context window to 32,000 tokens, equivalent to about 24,000 words (or 48 pages of text). This means Gemini can handle longer texts, providing a more coherent conversational experience.
More notably, Google is about to enable all Gemini users to upload files from Google Drive and local devices. Users can upload study materials, have Gemini create practice questions, or even analyze data files and generate visual charts.
Increased Transparency, Reduced "Hallucinations"
To address the "hallucinations" (i.e., fabricating false information) that AI models may produce, Google is testing a new feature: displaying links to relevant web content below certain answers generated by Gemini. This initiative aims to enhance the reliability and transparency of the information.
Broader Application Scenarios
Google is extending Gemini's capabilities to more areas:
1. Messages App Integration: Gemini features will be rolled out in the European Economic Area (EEA), the UK, and Switzerland, supporting additional languages such as French, Polish, and Spanish.
2. Mobile App Expansion: The Gemini mobile app will be launched in more countries.
3. Opening to Teenagers: Gemini will be made available to teenagers globally, along with dedicated onboarding processes and an "AI Literacy Guide."
This comprehensive upgrade to Gemini by Google reflects its ambition and determination in the AI field. By enhancing performance, expanding language support, adding new features, and opening up to a broader user base, Google is striving to maintain its leading position in the competitive AI market.