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The next generation of Google’s AI is here, as the company launched Gemini. It, in many ways, succeeds Bard, and it’s meant to be a proper competitor to OpenAI’s GPT-4. If you’ve been following this model’s development, then you should be excited to sink your teeth into it. Well, if you don’t know how, then here’s how to access Gemini.
At this stage, there’s more than one way to try out this model, but not all of them are available. As of December 2023, the most advanced version of Gemini isn’t available to the public. This article will be updated when it’s available. For the time being, two of the three versions of the model are accessible for you to use.
Also, at the time of writing this article, Gemini is still new. Google will most likely make the model accessible from more sources as time goes on. Be sure to check back to see if there are any additional ways to access it.
How to access Google Gemini
It’s time to take your AI to the next level, and you think that Gemini is the way to do so. It’s a leap over Bard, and it could be just what your business needs to become more streamlined. So, how do you gain access to this powerful model? There are a few ways that you can access it right now.
Before we get started, it’s important to know that there are three versions of Gemini. The largest and most capable version is called Gemini Ultra. This is the high-octane enterprise-level AI solution that major companies are going to be using.
Below that, there’s Gemini Pro, which is a great middle ground. It’s powerful (more powerful than Bard), and it should be perfect for startups and independent users.
Lastly, the smallest version is called Gemini Nano. This version is perfect for on-device computations, so it’s much smaller in scale compared to the others.
Through the Pixel 8 Pro
This might surprise you, but one way that you can access Gemini is through the Google Pixel 8 Pro. If you have this phone, then you have access to a version of the model called Gemini Nano. It’s the most compact version of the model, and it’s optimized to fit on a phone. Gemini Nano is designed for on-device computations.
Because it was added to the Pixel 8 Pro, this makes it essentially one of the smartest phones on the market if not the smartest. It runs the Google Tensor G3 chip, which is a chip that’s designed around AI. It already ran some insane AI before Gemini. Now, the company boosted its AI prowess with the new model.
Summarize in Recorder
Now, Gemini Nano will manifest in two key features in the phone right now. Starting off, there’s Summarize in Recorder. When you’re using Google’s voice recorder app, you’ll be able to use the AI on your chip to transcribe your audio recordings. Then, it will use generative AI to create a short and sweet summary of those recordings.
Say, you record a conversation with your friend about a story idea, and it goes on for some time. You can use the tool to give you a quick summary of your conversation and pick up on what ideas you discussed.
Smart Replies
Next, there’s the Smart Reply function. This feature goes through Gboard, and it will suggest replies that you can send to people you’re talking to in your conversations. While a feature like this isn’t entirely new, it will use conversation awareness to get an idea of what you’re talking about. Then, it will suggest the replies based on the conversation.
A list of only two features might sound disappointing, but Gemini just launched. As time goes on, we expect Google to roll out more features that leverage Gemini Nano. If you plan to pick up a Pixel 8, you’ll be able to see these features first-hand.
One thing to note is that more chips are being built with more powerful on-device AI capabilities. There’s no telling if we’ll see Gemini Nano make it to other phones using other chips.
Through Bard
If you’re an avid Google Bard user, then you’ve probably already had a taste of Gemini without knowing it. As a part of the release, Google upgraded Bard with a “fine-tuned” version of Gemini Pro. We’re not sure what Google means by “fine-tuned” exactly, but we’re sure that it means that it was trimmed down a bit in terms of its capabilities.
Regardless, you’ll be able to enjoy the advanced reasoning capabilities that come along with Gemini Pro. So, your responses will be much smarter, and you’re less likely to run into hallucinations.
[Updated Jan 2024] Bard Advanced
If you’re disappointed that Gemini Pro for Bard doesn’t have multimodal capabilities, well this release might be what you’re looking for. In early 2024, Google is going to introduce an even more augmented version of Bard that’s powered by Gemini Ultra. It’ll be called “Bard Advanced“, and it will implement the multimodal capabilities that you’ve been waiting for.
Gemini Ultra is the largest and most powerful version of the model, and it outpaces Gemini Pro in several areas. Getting access to it will bring much better reasoning capabilities and just an overall smarter experience.
The only thing is that we’re not sure how accessible Bard Advanced is going to be. We expect that Google will put Bard Advanced behind a paywall. Gemini Ultra is an ultra-capable model, and there’s no doubt that it’s built for large enterprise applications. We expect the company to charge a monthly fee, but the exact price remains to be seen.
This is just speculation, but the price, realistically, shouldn’t be outside of the $20/month ballpark. Gemini Ultra is the company’s answer to GPT-4, and access to that model starts at $20/month. If Google wants to stay competitive with GPT-4, having a comparable price could be a good way to do that.
How to access Bard
If you’re not a Bard member, then you’ll need to sign up before using it. Go to the Google Bard website and sign in with your Google account. After you do that, you’ll want to take the time and read the information that the company presents you with. The company should give you information about what Bard is all about and how the company is using your data. If you’re careful about your data, take the time to read any information that the company gives you.
After that point, you’ll see Bard in all of its glory. You’ll see the chat bar at the bottom of the screen. At this point, you’ll be looking at the upgraded version of Bard that’s powered by Gemini.