Google Gemini is an AI-powered multimodal model system for performing tasks. This tech lives on some Pixels, and here’s what it can do!
At Google I/O in May, the company debuted its new multimodal AI known as Google Gemini. During that launch, Google talked about what Gemini can do and how it will transform many of the company’s products. However, it wasn’t until early December that we actually got to see Gemini in action, and how it’ll start to transform Google’s Pixel phones.
Now that Gemini is out there in the world on the Pixel 8 series and with more to come, we’ve made a list of all the things it can do on a Pixel phone so far, and a few brief ideas for features we hope to see in the future.Which version of Google Gemini do Pixel phones use?
Gemini is Google’s next-generation AI architecture. It has been designed from the ground up to replace Google’s current AI model known as PaLM2. Today, PaLM2 is what works under the hood for various Google AI features and products, such as Google Bard, Duet AI in Workspace applications, etc. Think of Gemini as being similar to GPT-4, the underlying architecture that powers the popular ChatGPT.
The big difference with Gemini when compared to PaLM2 or event GPT-4 is how it was built. Most multimodal models are built piecemeal — you build one thing to do Task A and then another thing to do Task B and then put them together so the system can achieve Task C. However, Gemini, according to Google, is “natively multimodal, pre-trained from the start on different modalities.” This should, in theory, make it faster, more accurate, and more efficient when it comes to performing its tasks. It should also allow it to perform tasks that other systems cannot.
There are three versions of Gemini, with each designed for specific types of work. Gemini Ultra is the BIG one. This is the multimodal model that will do incredibly complex tasks. Gemini Pro will power Google’s consumer-level products that work in the cloud. Think Google Bard and other PaLM2 products. And finally, there’s Gemini Nano, which is designed to work on a device natively and is what appears on Pixel phones. This is the least powerful version of Gemini, but it could be the most practical to use since it will not require a data connection and can be incorporated directly into consumer-level products. You can read more about the differences between the three Gemini versions in our explainer at the link.
So what can Pixel phones do with Gemini Nano? Let’s find out!Gemini Nano feature: Recorder summaries
On the Google Pixel 8 Pro, you can use a Gemini Nano-based feature inside the Recorder app. When you open a transcript of a recording, you will see a new Summarize button. Tapping this will use the power of Gemini to produce a quick transcript summary.
For this to work, you must be using a Pixel 8 Pro on the December 6, 2023 update or later.
