Google has rebranded its Bard chatbot as Gemini, the name of its new powerful AI model family, and launched a $20 per month ‘Gemini Advanced’ subscription service.
Gemini Advanced
To compete with the likes of ChatGPT, Google has launched its own monthly Chatbot subscription service for the same price but with some extras thrown in. Google recently launched Gemini, its “newest and most capable” large language model (LLM) family, available as Ultra, Pro, and Nano. The highly advanced and multimodal AI model was designed to be integrated into its existing ‘Bard’ chatbot.
Rebrand and Subscription Plan
Google has therefore now rebranded Bard as ‘Gemini Advanced’ after the AI Ultra 1.0 model that now powers it, and released a $19.99 per month subscription to the chatbot. The subscription plan which includes Gemini Advanced has been named the ‘Google One AI Premium Plan.’ Google says the plan includes:
– The Gemini Advanced chatbot (based on its Ultra 1.0 model).
– The benefits of the existing Google One Premium plan, such as 2TB of storage (usually $9.99 per month).
– Available soon for AI Premium subscribers – the ability to use Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Slides, Sheets and more (formerly known as Duet AI).
– A two-month trial at no cost.
Where And How?
Gemini Advanced is available today in more than 150 countries and territories (including the UK) in English, and Google says it will expand it to more languages over time. It also makes the point that Gemini Pro is already available in 40 languages and more than 230 countries and territories, so it’s likely that Gemini Advanced will be available to the same geographic degree.
Competition
Although Google is a little late to the party with Gemini Advanced, it has been a way to tidy up and clarify its offering by re-branding and using Bard at the front end and its latest powerful Gemini at the back end.
Gemini Advanced offers Google a way to monetise the AI that it’s been investing in for years and compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot subscription. However, it has more in common with Copilot in terms of being designed to integrate with an existing suite of products whereas OpenIA’s ChatGPT is a standalone offering. That said, OpenAI has worked closely in partnership with Microsoft to develop its AI and while Google’s AI has been developed by its DeepMind labs, former OpenAI staff members have also worked at DeepMind at certain stages.
Gemini Advanced is, therefore, essentially positioned to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus, and Microsoft’s Copilot Pro, all at $20 per month.
What Does This Mean For Your Business?
With ChatGPT Plus, Microsoft’s Copilot Pro, and Google’s Gemini Advanced now available at the same subscription price, businesses have a choice in terms of selecting the AI tools that align most closely with their strategic goals and operational needs. With businesses very likely to be already using Microsoft and Google products daily, plus many using ChatGPT it’s likely to be a case of weighing up the features, capabilities, and limitations of each AI service against their specific requirements to get the best fit for enhancing productivity and innovation.
Many small business owners may be asking themselves whether extra value can be obtained from yet another monthly subscription from something that many people perceive to be a similar product that hasn’t been around as long (and perhaps not trained as much) as ChatGPT. That said, some may have used ChatGPT long enough to have noticed its limitations as well as its strengths and may feel ready to try a competing product that promises to have a powerful backend and could help them leverage the power of other Google products. There’s also the temptation/sweetener of the first 2 months free with Gemini Advanced and a large amount storage which would normally cost $9.99 per month anyway.
Whereas just at the end of 2022 there was only ChatGPT, businesses now have a choice between three similarly positioned AI products, giving some idea of the rapid growth and monetisation in this new competitive market. Businesses may, therefore, now start deciding which AI subscription – ChatGPT Plus, Microsoft’s Copilot Pro, or Google’s Gemini Advanced – best aligns with their goals, operational needs, and existing software ecosystems. This choice may hinge on taking a closer look at each platform’s unique features and capabilities, cost-effectiveness, data privacy standards, and compatibility with the company’s values and long-term innovation potential. For big tech companies, the AI competition is hotting up and we can expect more rapid change to come.
