UNITED KINGDOM: In a groundbreaking move, Google has officially launched an upgrade to its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, Bard, in the UK. This development is part of the global rollout of Google’s next-generation model, Gemini, designed to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. While the Gemini model was initially introduced across the US and more than 170 countries earlier this month, its UK release was delayed until now.
Gemini, hailed by Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai as the “most capable” generative AI model to date, represents the most significant upgrade to Bard since its launch earlier this year. The enhanced capabilities of Bard, now powered by Gemini, will initially focus on text-based prompts but are set to expand into a “multi-modal” functionality in the coming months. This means Bard will be capable of operating across various types of information, including words, pictures, video, and sound.
Debbie Weinstein, Google UK managing director and vice president, expressed excitement about the collaboration between the UK’s creative minds and Bard’s boundless possibilities. Gemini, Google claims, is the first AI model to surpass “human experts” in a range of intelligence tests.
The company has fine-tuned Gemini Pro, one of three levels of the model, to excel in understanding, summarizing, reasoning, coding, and planning. The AI model will also be integrated into Pixel 8 Pro smartphones, powering features like “summarize” in the recorder app and “smart reply” in the Google keyboard.
Despite the advancements, Google emphasizes the implementation of safeguards and collaborative efforts with governments and experts to mitigate potential risks associated with AI. The development of Gemini is the result of a large-scale collaboration across various Google teams, including DeepMind and Google Research.
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