Chatbot Wars: Google Launches Enhanced Premium Bard Version

Google has unveiled an upgraded version of its AI assistant, Bard, now rebranded as Gemini, aligning with the tech giant's family of advanced multimodal models. This powerful new iteration, powered by Gemini Pro, has recently outperformed OpenAI’s GPT-4 in chatbot rankings, showcasing its enhanced capabilities. Mobile applications are set to be launched for both Android (Gemini app) and iOS (integrated into the Google app).

The premium version, named Gemini Advanced, utilizes Gemini Ultra 1.0, the most advanced member of the Gemini model family. This subscription-based service, available through the Google One plan at $20 a month, not only offers 2 TB of cloud storage but also promises seamless integration with Google's suite of tools, including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet.

Google emphasizes that Gemini Advanced excels in complex tasks such as coding, logical reasoning, and collaborating on creative projects. It is designed for extended and nuanced conversations, building on context from prior interactions to deliver more relevant responses. Available starting today in English across more than 150 countries, this premium offering positions itself as a formidable competitor to ChatGPT Plus, which is similarly priced at $20 per month. Unlike ChatGPT, which became multimodal in September of the previous year, Gemini offers enhanced multitasking capabilities from the outset.

In the evolving landscape of AI technology, competitors such as Anthropic’s Claude Pro, also priced at $20 per month, provide viable alternatives to Gemini Advanced. Google CEO Sundar Pichai had hinted at this premium version during a recent earnings call, indicating the onset of what the company refers to as the "Gemini Era."

Pichai highlighted the extraordinary capabilities of Gemini Ultra 1.0, claiming it is the first AI model to surpass human experts in the Massive Multitask Language Understanding (MMLU) benchmark. This comprehensive evaluation incorporates 57 subjects, including math, physics, law, medicine, and ethics, testing the model's knowledge and problem-solving prowess. He remarked that Gemini Advanced is particularly adept in reasoning, instruction following, coding, and creative collaboration. The assistant can personalize learning experiences as a tutor by generating step-by-step guides or quizzes and providing tailored content strategies as a creative partner.

Alongside Bard, Google is also rebranding its Duet AI to Gemini, which encompasses the company's suite of generative AI tools within its Workspace productivity software and Google Cloud offerings.

With today's announcement, it’s clear the competition in the AI arena is intensifying. Just yesterday, Microsoft introduced updates to its Copilot AI assistant, coupled with a fresh redesign aimed at a more streamlined user experience. The company also revealed its plans to air its first Super Bowl advertisement in four years, highlighting its Copilot features, further indicating the aggressive strategies that major players are implementing in this rapidly evolving field.