Recently a significant moment occurred in Google’s AI journey as they surprised everyone by renaming their AI assistant Bard to Gemini. This move signals a strategic shift, emphasizing a unified branding effort and enhanced accessibility for users.
Let’s delve into the details of why Google decided to make this change and what it means for users.
In a surprising announcement, Google shared that Bard is now officially called Gemini. This change reflects Google’s commitment to providing everyone with direct access to their AI services. The decision to rename Bard to Gemini aims to streamline Google’s AI presence and messaging, ensuring that users across supported countries and languages have access to Google’s best family of AI models.
Understanding Bard and Gemini
Bard, previously Google’s conversational generative AI assistant, competed with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. It allowed users to generate images and text content based on their prompts. On the other hand, Gemini, now at the forefront, is a recommended LLM model. It assesses text, images, and videos before generating recommendations for specific Google services.
Gemini is already being integrated into various Google services, including Google Ads, showcasing its versatility and potential impact on user experiences.
Why Bard changed to Gemini
The decision to rename Bard to Gemini holds significant branding implications. Over the past year, Google introduced three AIs – Bard, Gemini, and Duet – across its services. Managing three distinct names in the public domain might seem dominant, but it also poses a risk of diluting the company’s AI marketing message. Consolidating under the name Gemini simplifies the branding, making it easier for consumers to recognize and connect with Google’s AI offerings.
Consolidating under one name provides consumers with a focal point, simplifying the branding and making it easier for them to engage with Google’s AI technology. This move is particularly strategic for securing future customer experiences and branding opportunities, especially considering Google’s comparatively smaller presence in device manufacturing compared to competitors like Apple.
While Bard had become a familiar name over the past year, Google quickly integrated Gemini into its services. The tech giant recognized the need to consolidate service names, aligning with the strategy of competitors like Microsoft, which integrated its AI assistant, Copilot, into various services. Google’s move aims to capitalize on AI branding and maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic tech marketplace.
Gemini’s Features and Access
Gemini is not just a name change; it comes with added features and accessibility. Google is expanding Gemini access on mobile platforms, focusing on broader user engagement. The Gemini app will now be available on Android through the Google Play Store. For iOS users, access is currently possible through the Google app.
Additionally, U.S. customers have the option to subscribe to Gemini Advanced for a monthly fee of $19.99. Google introduced a new Gemini Advanced experience using its Ultra 1.0 model. This is Google’s largest and most powerful model, now available to consumers for the first time. It will enhance the AI experience for users who opt for advanced features.
There are three Gemini models: Nano, Pro, and Ultra. These names indicate the different sizes of the models. The larger the model, the more capable it is at various tasks but also requires more resources. For example, Nano is designed to run on a mobile device.
Google’s announcement primarily focuses on the Pro and Ultra models. The Pro model powers the Gemini chat experience (formerly known as Bard). The only change here is that both the model and the experience are now called Gemini.
Positive takeaway
Most can agree that Gemini is a better name than Bard. Google aims to be taken seriously in the AI market, and a better name signifies a better experience. As of today, Gemini is not only a new name but also an improved and superior experience.
While only time will reveal the full impact of Bard’s renaming, Google seems confident in merging the two AI names into one powerful entity – Gemini. As Google takes this optimistic leap into the future, Gemini becomes the new face of their AI services, promising a more streamlined and user-friendly journey for AI enthusiasts.
