Google on Wednesday launched a new wave of artificial intelligence (AI) designed to tackle more of the work and thinking done by humans, as it tries to stay on the cutting edge of technology, while trying to fend off regulatory threats to the company.
Google’s new generation of AI is presented under the name Gemini, unveiled a year ago. Google is touting Gemini 2.0 as a springboard for artificial intelligence agents that can interpret images displayed on a phone, perform a variety of tedious tasks, remember conversations consumers have with other people, help video game players to strategize, and even tackle online research.
In a blog post, Google CEO Sundar Pichai predicts that the technology in Gemini 2.0 will “better understand the world around you, think many times ahead, and act on your behalf, with your supervision.”
It’s a similar goal pursued by rivals, like OpenAI, with its ChatGPT technology, and industry giant, such as Microsoft, which offers a variety of similar tools in its Windows software.
Surpassing OpenAI and others
Initially, much of Google’s latest AI technology will be limited to test groups and subscribers who pay US$20 per month for Gemini Advanced, but some features will be made available to the public through its search engine and its mobile applications.
Google plans broader launches next year that will include the technology in its free products, including its Chrome browser, digital maps (Google Maps) and YouTube.
In addition to trying to outdo OpenAI and other ambitious startups, Google is trying to stay ahead of Apple, which is starting to integrate AI into its latest iPhone phones and other devices.
After releasing an update to enable the iPhone’s first set of “Apple Intelligence” features, which improved the device’s Siri assistant, another round of AI technology is planned before the end of the year.
Google is pushing ahead with its latest AI advances even as the U.S. Justice Department attempts to break up the Mountain View, Calif., company to prevent further abuses by its dominant search engine, which was declared an illegal monopoly by a federal judge earlier this year in an antitrust case.
Notably, Gemini 2.0 is expected to improve the AI insights that Google began highlighting earlier this year in its search results instead of its traditional list of the most relevant links to websites, in response to AI-powered “response engines,” like Perplexity.
«Project Astra»
After AI previews initially produced some outlandish suggestions, Google refined the technology to minimize these missteps. Now, company executives are promising that things will get even better with Gemini 2.0, which Mr. Pichai says will be able to adopt more human-like reasoning while solving more advanced math problems, and even when producing computer code.
Improvements to AI previews will initially only be available to a test audience before a wider release next year.
The tech update is also expected to equip a still-experimental universal AI agent, dubbed “Project Astra,” with increased intelligence and versatility, which will allow users to have more meaningful and useful conversations with technology.
In a show of confidence, Google said it would increase the number of people testing Project Astra, without giving details on the size of the group.
As part of Gemini 2.0, Google will also begin testing a Chrome extension called “Project Mariner,” which can be enabled to perform online searches and sort results.
If the U.S. Justice Department wins its case, Google will be forced to sell or divest Chrome as part of its punishment for deploying its search engine in a way that stifles competition and potential innovation.
Google ridiculed the Justice Department’s proposal as “excessive” and vowed to resist any attempt to break up the company during federal court hearings, which are scheduled to begin in Washington next spring.
Even if these hearings result in a decision requiring a takedown, Google could still appeal. This procedure could take years, which would allow it to continue its expansion in the field of AI.
“I can’t wait to see what this new era has in store for us,” Mr. Pichai wrote in his blog post, indicating that the company does not expect to be deterred by regulators.
