Google has announced a major update to its Bard chatbot, which now runs on a new artificial intelligence system called Gemini. The company also launched a subscription service that gives users access to more advanced features and integrations with Google products.
Gemini is the latest AI model developed by Google, which claims it can generate high-quality text and answer complex questions that are not easily found on the web. Gemini is based on the Ultra 1.0 model, which Google says is one of the most powerful generative AI systems in the world.
Users who want to use Gemini can sign up for the Google One AI Premium plan, which costs US$19.99 ($30.81) per month in the US. The plan includes two terabytes of cloud storage, which normally costs US$9.99 ($15.40) per month, and access to Gemini in Gmail and Google’s productivity suite. Google plans to add more features and integrations to the plan in the future.
The Google One AI Premium plan is Google’s response to the growing competition in the consumer AI market, where Microsoft and OpenAI have also launched their own subscription services. Microsoft offers AI capabilities in its Office products, while OpenAI provides early access to its ChatGPT Plus model and other features. Both services charge US$20 per month in the US.
Google’s Product Lead Jack Krawczyk said that the Google One AI Premium plan is designed to meet the needs of users who want to use the most advanced generative AI technology for various purposes, such as creating new content or finding answers to difficult questions.
Google also said that Android users can choose Gemini as their default digital assistant on their phones, and access it through an app, the power button or by saying “Hey Google”. Krawczyk said that this option makes it easy for users to interact with Gemini anytime and anywhere.
