Chatbot Wars: Google Unveils Premium Version of Bard

Google announced today a premium version of its AI assistant, Bard, which will be powered by its most powerful large multimodal model yet.

Bard, Google’s ChatGPT rival, will be renamed Gemini after the search giant’s family of multimodal models. It is powered by Gemini Pro, which recently beat OpenAI’s GPT-4 large language model in chatbot rankings. Mobile apps are coming on Android (Gemini app) and iOS (in the Google app).

The new, premium version of Bard will be called Gemini Advanced, powered by Gemini Ultra 1.0, the most powerful in the Gemini family of models.

The service – bundled under the Google One plan − costs $20 a month and will include 2 TB of cloud storage. Soon, it will integrate with Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Meet.

Google said Gemini Advanced is "far more capable at highly complex tasks like coding, logical reasoning, following nuanced instructions and collaborating on creative projects" and able to have "longer, more detailed conversations; it also better understands the context from your previous prompts."

Gemini Advanced is available starting today in English in more than 150 nations and territories.

Gemini Advanced will square off against ChatGPT Plus, which also costs $20 a month. Gemini is a multimodal model; ChatGPT only became multimodal last September.

Related:Google's 'Gemini Era': Embedding Gen AI in Everything It Does

Other competitors include Anthropic’s Claude Pro, which also costs $20 a month but is a large language model.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai hinted at a coming premium Bard version during his most recent earnings call with analysts where he talked about the start of the company’s “Gemini Era.”

Most capable model yet

Pichai said Gemini Ultra 1.0 is the “first to outperform human experts on MMLU (massive multitask language understanding), which uses a combination of 57 subjects — including math, physics, history, law, medicine and ethics — to test knowledge and problem-solving abilities.”

Ultra is “far more capable at reasoning, following instructions, coding, and creative collaboration,” he added. “For example, it can be a personal tutor, tailored to your learning style. Or it can be a creative partner, helping you plan a content strategy or build a business plan.”

As a tutor, Gemini Advanced can create step-by-step instructions, sample quizzes or discussions. In coding, it can help evaluate different coding approaches. In creativity, it can help brainstorm on ways to grow your audience.

Besides Bard, Duet AI is being rebranded Gemini as well. Duet AI houses Google’s suite of generative AI tools in Workspace, its office productivity software suite, and Google Cloud.

Related:Google’s Bard Just Beat ChatGPT's GPT-4 in Rankings

Google's announcements today show the AI race is still very much on. Yesterday, Microsoft announced new features in its Copilot AI assistant as well as a redesign to a “cleaner, sleeker look and feel.” Microsoft said it will air its first Super Bowl ad in four years; the commercial will focus on Copilot.