Google has officially introduced its highly anticipated next-generation large language model, Gemini, which it claims to be the largest and "most capable" model it has ever developed. After a prolonged period of speculation, the company shared a blog post detailing the model's capabilities, revealing that Gemini comes in three variations: Ultra, Pro, and Nano. This versatility allows it to operate effectively on mobile devices as well as within large-scale data centers.
Starting today, Gemini will begin powering various solutions, including the Bard chatbot, which is initially equipped with the Gemini Pro model and will be available in English. Google asserts that this will significantly enhance Bard's reasoning and understanding capabilities. Looking ahead, the company plans to launch Bard Advanced in early 2024, though details regarding this iteration remain scarce. However, it has been mentioned that access to “advanced models and capabilities” will commence with Gemini Ultra.
The new Pixel 8 Pro will be the first smartphone capable of running Gemini Nano. In the coming year, users will gain access to exciting new features, such as the Summarize function in the Recorder app and a developer preview of Smart Reply in Gboard, initially available for WhatsApp. Moreover, Gemini will be integrated into Google Ads, Chrome, and Duet AI, with more features set to follow across its diverse product lineup. Notably, Google indicated that it has been refining the model's performance in search, offering improvements to the Search Generative Experience (SGE).
While the blog post did not mention integration with Makersuite features, a previous leak suggested that Google's web development platform would leverage Gemini's generative capabilities. Initially unveiled by Google CEO Sundar Pichai at the I/O 2023 event, Gemini aims to establish a competitive presence in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Starting December 13, developers and enterprise customers can access Gemini Pro through the Gemini API in Vertex AI or Google AI Studio, Google’s free web-based developer tool. Gemini Ultra will be available to select organizations before broader availability for enterprise customers in early 2024. Android developers interested in creating Gemini-powered applications can sign up for an early preview of the Nano variant through Android AICore.
Gemini was initially announced during a company event in May but has remained largely under wraps since. As a leading frontier model, it prioritizes foundational advancements in large language models, a topic of significant focus at the recent AI Safety Summit. Although Google planned to showcase the model at private events this week, these demonstrations were canceled due to challenges in handling non-English queries. However, private presentations were still conducted for unnamed business partners.
Internally, Google’s senior leadership expresses a strong desire for Gemini to rival OpenAI's ChatGPT, emphasizing the urgency for an early release to retain competitive edge. Additionally, with Microsoft's AI Copilot making substantial strides in productivity software, which integrates various OpenAI technologies, Google is motivated to maintain its innovation pace.
In terms of hardware advancements, Google has trained Gemini on its proprietary TPU chips. Alongside the model's launch, new AI accelerators known as Cloud TPU v5p were announced. These latest chips offer a remarkable 2.8 times faster training for large language models compared to the previous TPU v4 generation and are reported to be more powerful than the already available Cloud TPU v5e.
Google Cloud further unveiled its AI Hypercomputer, a groundbreaking supercomputer architecture specifically designed to enhance AI training and optimization. This advanced infrastructure addresses the increasing computational demands of generative AI applications, offering an integrated system of AI-tailored hardware, software, machine learning frameworks, and consumption models.
To utilize the Cloud TPU v5p or access the new AI Hypercomputer, enterprises will need to connect with their designated Google Cloud account manager, ensuring they can leverage these state-of-the-art technologies for their business needs.
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