Google seems to be making a statement about its future. If we take it at face value, this is a big deal. Till date, Google’s not let any other name be a peer-brand in its family. You’ve always had Google Mail, Google Photos, Google Pay, Google Workspace and even Google Cloud.
Nothing replaced Google within the Alphabet framework. So, when we have this:
Post by @heypollackView on Threads
Gemini gets top billing and is suggested as a “replacement” to Google. Even if Mountain View is being serious about this being the bet for the future, I worry that Assistant didn’t prevail.
Then there’s this piece on The Wired:
“That’s how the human mind works, where you’re constantly seeking things and have a real desire to connect to the world you see,” Pichai enthuses, saying that he has long sought to add that capability to Google’s technology. “That’s why in Google Search we added multi-search, that’s why we did Google Lens [for visual search]. So with Gemini, which is natively multimodal, you can put images into it and then start asking it questions. That glimpse into the future is where it really shines.”
https://www.wired.com/story/google-prepares-for-a-future-where-search-isnt-king/
Now, one might ask, isn’t that what Google’s doing with Search Generative Experiment, adding these capabilities to “Search”?
Pichai says that Google is focused right now on getting the generative AI experience right, but that he is “open to possibilities around both” paid and ad-supported generative AI experiences. He declines to say whether the paid Gemini offering will remain totally ad-free, but pointed to another Google-owned product where it’s possible to banish ads entirely.
https://www.wired.com/story/google-prepares-for-a-future-where-search-isnt-king/
It seems like Google’s running another experiment – figure out additional ways to monetize not just the research that’s gone into this, but the significantly higher costs of operating generative AI.
It’s just… branding Gemini along with Google feels like a bet and not an experiment.
Compared to a world where: Bard, Duet, Assistant, Assistant with Bard, Bard with Assistant, Gemini, Gemini Pro, Gemini Ultra, Bard Advanced, Circle to Search and Vertex were present – Gemini might be better.
However, Google will face a steep challenge to convince every Google user that Gemini is supposed to be a helpful AI assistant.
It’s still not easy sailing naming things at Google. Take a look at this:
Most users will still be using the standard version of the Gemini model, known as Gemini Pro. In order to use Gemini Ultra, the most powerful version of the model, you’ll have to sign up for a Gemini Advanced subscription, which is part of the new $20-a-month Google One AI Premium plan. (These names are not helpful, Google!) The subscription also comes with 2TB of Google Drive storage and all the other features of the Google One subscription, so Google frames it as just a $10 monthly increase for those users. For everyone else, it’s the same price as ChatGPT Plus and other products — $20 a month seems to be about the going rate for a high-end AI bot. (emphasis mine)
Google’s Gemini AI now has a new app and works across Google products – The Verge
Still, Google’s current problem with naming leads to some hilarious outcomes including this gem:
Post by @isaachView on Threads
P.S. RIP – Google Now.
The post (Re)introducing Google, I mean Gemini… first appeared on @gurupanguji • Ramblings of an Eccentric Soul.
This post first appeared on Ramblings Of An Eccentric Soul... | Thoughts, Ramb, please read the originial post: here
