Google on Thursday announced a major rebrand of Bard, its artificial intelligence chatbot and assistant, including a fresh app and subscription options. Bard, a chief competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, is now called Gemini, the same name as the suite of AI models that power the chatbot.
Google also announced new ways for consumers to access the AI tool: As of Thursday, Android users can download a new dedicated Android app for Gemini, and iPhone users can use Gemini within the Google app on iOS.
Google’s rebrand and app offerings underline the company’s commitment to pursuing — and investing heavily in — AI assistants or agents, a term often used to describe tools ranging from chatbots to coding assistants and other productivity tools.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the firm’s commitment to AI during the company’s Jan. 30 earnings call. Pichai said he eventually wants to offer an AI agent that can complete more and more tasks on a user’s behalf, including within Google Search, although he said there is “a lot of execution ahead.” Likewise, chief executives at tech giants from Microsoft to Amazon underlined their commitment to building AI agents as productivity tools.
Google’s Gemini changes are a first step to “building a true AI assistant,” Sissie Hsiao, a vice president at Google and general manager for Google Assistant and Bard, told reporters on a call Wednesday.
Google on Thursday also announced a new AI subscription option, for power users who want access to Gemini Ultra 1.0, Google’s most powerful AI model. Access costs $19.99 per month through Google One, the company’s paid storage offering. For existing Google One subscribers, that price includes the storage plans they may already be paying for. There’s also a two-month free trial available.
Thursday’s rollouts are available to users in more than 150 countries and territories, but they’re restricted to the English language for now. Google plans to expand language offerings to include Japanese and…
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