Next year, Google aims to introduce Bard Advanced, which will allow users access most advanced models and capabilities. Reuters
Next year, Google aims to introduce Bard Advanced, which will allow users access most advanced models and capabilities. Reuters
Next year, Google aims to introduce Bard Advanced, which will allow users access most advanced models and capabilities. Reuters
Next year, Google aims to introduce Bard Advanced, which will allow users access most advanced models and capabilities. Reuters

Google Gemini: Bard gets its biggest upgrade as generative AI market heats up


Alkesh Sharma
  • English
  • Arabic

Google’s generative artificial intelligence tool Bard got its biggest upgrade on Wednesday as the company launched Gemini, its largest and most capable AI model yet.

Coming with multi-modal reasoning capabilities, the Gemini 1.0 model will be rolled out in three different sizes – nano, pro and ultra – so it can run on everything from resource-intensive data centres to small mobile devices, Google told a media roundtable.

Initially, Bard will use a specifically tuned version of Gemini pro in English for advanced reasoning, planning, coding, summarising, understanding and detailed interpretations. It is available from Wednesday.

Early next year, the company aims to introduce Bard Advanced, which will allow users access most advanced models and capabilities – starting with Gemini ultra.

The Alphabet-owned company, which is wrestling Microsoft-backed Bing and ChatGPT for a greater share of the generative AI market, had originally launched Bard in February.

What is Google Gemini?

Gemini can generalise and understand, operate across and combine different types of information including text, code, audio, image and video. Before bringing the new model to the public, Google said it ran Gemini pro through several industry-standard benchmarks.

Google chief executive Sundar Pichai. AFP
Google chief executive Sundar Pichai. AFP

“In six out of eight benchmarks, Gemini pro outperformed GPT 3.5, including in MMLU [massive multitask language understanding], one of the key leading standards for measuring large AI models,” said Sissie Hsiao, vice president and general manager for Assistant and Bard at Google.

“We are seeing great results … in blind evaluations with our third-party raters, Bard is now the most preferred free chatbot compared to leading alternatives.”

Users can try Bard with Gemini pro for text-based prompts, with support for other modalities coming soon. It will initially be available in English in more than 170 countries and territories and in more languages and places in the coming months, the company said.

“Developers are using our models and infrastructure to build new generative AI applications, and start-ups and enterprises around the world are growing with our AI tools … this is incredible momentum, and yet, we are only beginning to scratch the surface of what’s possible,” Sundar Pichai, Alphabet’s chief executive, said.

What are Gemini ultra and Gemini nano?

Gemini ultra is the California-based company’s largest and most capable model, designed for highly complex tasks and built to quickly understand and act on different types of information – including text, images, audio, video and code. It will be available next year.

“One of the first ways you will be able to try Gemini ultra is through Bard Advanced, a new, cutting-edge AI experience in Bard that gives you access to our best models and capabilities,” Ms Hsiao said.

Google said it is completing “extensive safety checks” and will launch a trusted tester programme before opening Bard Advanced to more people next year.

However, it introduced Gemini nano on its Pixel 8 Pro smartphones on Wednesday.

First version of Bard was launched in February. AP
First version of Bard was launched in February. AP

In the coming months, Gemini will be available in more of Google’s products and services like Search, Ads, Chrome and Duet AI.

Google said it is already experimenting Gemini in Search, where it is making search faster for users with a 40 per cent reduction in latency in English in the US, alongside improvements in quality.

From December 13, developers and enterprise customers can access Gemini pro to customise the technology and use it in their applications and inventions.

How has Google tested Gemini?

Google said it is testing Gemini models and evaluating their performance on various tasks, such as natural image, audio and video understanding to mathematical reasoning.

Gemini ultra’s performance exceeds current results on 30 of the 32 widely used academic benchmarks used in large language model research and development. With a score of 90 per cent, it is the first model to outperform human experts on MMLU, which uses a combination of 57 subjects such as maths, physics, history, law, medicine and ethics for testing both world knowledge and problem-solving abilities.

Google's Tensor Processing Unit (TSU) rack. TSU is a circuit developed by Google for neural network machine learning, using Google's own TensorFlow software. Photo: Google
Google's Tensor Processing Unit (TSU) rack. TSU is a circuit developed by Google for neural network machine learning, using Google's own TensorFlow software. Photo: Google

How safe is Gemini?

Google is developing Gemini “boldly and responsibly”, Mr Pichai said.

“That means being ambitious in our research and pursuing the capabilities that will bring enormous benefits to people and society while building in safeguards and working collaboratively with governments and experts to address risks as AI becomes more capable.”

The company said the strategy aligns with the approach it has taken since the launch of Bard early this year. For example, Bard is built based on Google’s AI Principles, including contextual help, like Bard’s “Google it” button to double-check its answers.

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COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Rain Management

Year started: 2017

Based: Bahrain

Employees: 100-120

Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Fenix - 3:45:47

2. David Dekker (NED) Jumbo-Visma - same time

3. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep   

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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

Herc's Adventures

Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5

Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule

Thursday December 27

Men's quarter-finals

Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm

Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm

Women's exhibition

Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm

Friday December 28

5th place play-off 3pm

Men's semi-finals

Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm

Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm

Saturday December 29

3rd place play-off 5pm

Men's final 7pm

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
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Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

BMW M5 specs

Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor

Power: 727hp

Torque: 1,000Nm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh650,000

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Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E6.5-litre%20V12%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E725hp%20at%207%2C750rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E716Nm%20at%206%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQ4%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1%2C650%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Fight card
  • Aliu Bamidele Lasisi (Nigeria) beat Artid Vamrungauea (Thailand) POINTS
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  • Kem Ljungquist (Denmark) beat Mourad Omar (Egypt) TKO
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The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

Updated: December 08, 2023, 6:00 AM`