Google has unveiled a new version of its generative AI model, Gemini 1.5 Flash, which is available in more than 40 languages and in more than 230 countries and territories. The company announced “an overall improvement in quality and reduced latency, with particularly noticeable improvements in image reasoning and understanding.” The size of the context window has been significantly increased, the ability to download files from Google Drive has been added, and the capabilities of Gemini for teenagers and mobile applications have been expanded.
Image source: Google
Google has made it a priority to ensure maximum availability of the new Gemini model. The company has begun gradually rolling out Gemini in Google Messages for Android devices in the European Economic Area (EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), the UK and Switzerland. Users can now communicate with Gemini in French, Polish and Spanish.
Google has expanded access to its Gemini mobile app in more regions and aims to encourage teens over 13 to use AI tools. The company introduced a custom onboarding process for teens and an AI literacy guide to help users of all skill levels better understand school subjects, prepare for college, or get help with creative projects.
Google said it is partnering with child safety and development experts including MediaSmarts, Miudos Seguros and Fad Juventud, who “continue to provide expertise to meet the unique needs of teens and families.”
Google says the new version of Gemini will offer significant improvements in overall response quality and reduced latency. The greatest progress is promised in reasoning and understanding images. The context window has been quadrupled to 32,000 tokens. To increase the efficiency of using a large contextual window, it will soon be possible to upload user files through Google Drive or directly from the user’s device, which was previously only available in Gemini Advanced.
As part of its efforts to reduce hallucinations, Google’s AI will now display links to relevant content when answering questions that require factual support. At the end of the response paragraph, a link will be displayed to sites where you can read more about this topic. If the Gemini response links to information found using the Gmail extension, the user will see links to related emails. This feature is currently limited to English-only tooltips.
Google emphasizes that Gemini’s development has “always been guided by a commitment to user responsibility and safety.” The company pursues a policy of maximum openness and transparency, talking in detail about all stages of Gemini development. Google’s blog provides detailed information about the company’s AI policies and how the company deals with complex and sensitive issues related to public interest, political, religious, or moral beliefs.