Major Google Gemini Features Launching in 2024 as We Move into 2025

The year 2024 significantly reshaped the technology landscape, particularly at Google, which unveiled a range of AI innovations under the Gemini banner. This initiative prominently features the conversational chatbot alongside multiple foundational AI models.

Throughout the year, Google introduced numerous products and enhancements in the generative AI domain. In addition to the highlights of these new Gemini features, it’s worth exploring the various products the tech giant retired in 2024, along with the anticipated Instagram features wishlist.

Note: The following list primarily highlights key Gemini features released in 2024 but does not encompass all the developments.

From Bard to Gemini: The Rebranding Revolution

A major transformation this year involved Google rebranding its Bard chatbot to Gemini, aligning the naming convention with its pre-existing models. Alongside this transition, the tech company rolled out the Gemini 1.0 Pro model and made the chatbot accessible in over 40 languages across 230 countries.

A Google engineer explained the symbolism behind the name Gemini, relating it to the zodiac sign known for its duality, which parallels Gemini’s capability to process various data types. Additionally, the name pays homage to NASA’s Project Gemini, an early moon exploration initiative.

Launch of Mobile Apps and the Subscription Model

In February, Google debuted the Gemini app for Android, ultimately supplanting Google Assistant as the default voice assistant. While Android users embraced the new chatbot, iOS users could access it through the Google app.

The same month marked the introduction of the paid subscription service called Gemini Advanced, granting users access to the most advanced models, including Gemini Ultra 1.0, 1.5 Pro, and experimental versions like Gemini-Exp-1206.

Moreover, features such as “Help Me Write”became available on Chromebook Plus devices, providing a convenient Gemini button on the home screen app shelf.

Integrating AI into Google Maps

In March, Google elevated the utility of the Gemini chatbot by integrating support for Google Maps. Users can now issue navigation commands directly through the chatbot.

For example, a user can say, “Navigate me to [X],”prompting Gemini to deliver information such as travel distance, expected duration, and a link to Google Maps, which will initiate navigation shortly thereafter.

Introduction of Vids: A New Video Creation Tool

In April, Google launched Vids, a Gemini-enhanced tool aimed at simplifying video creation for training, marketing, and other purposes. With a timeline-style interface, users can seamlessly assemble video assets from Google Drive, record voiceovers, or film directly from the application.

Collaboration features allow users to manage who can edit, comment, or view their projects. Note that Google Vids is a paid add-on within the Workspace suite.

YouTube Music Integration

In May, a new YouTube Music extension was introduced, enabling Gemini users to interface with YouTube Music to discover tracks, listen to radio stations, and explore new artists and playlists.

Continuous Development: New Gemini Models

2024 also witnessed various upgrades to Gemini models. The launch of Gemini 1.5 Flash in May provided a lightweight LLM optimized for tasks like summarization, chat interactions, image and video captioning, and data extraction.

Further enhancements included a more compact version named Gemini 1.5 Flash-8B and a new Gemini 1.5 Pro model boasting improved performance for coding tasks. In December, Google revealed the experimental Gemini 2.0 Flash model, featuring support for natively generated images and multilingual audio capabilities.

Ask Photos Assistant

During Google I/O 2024, the Ask Photos assistant was unveiled. This digital helper, powered by Gemini, is designed to sift through your gallery, generate personalized captions, and create snapshots from your travels.

Expanding into Education

In May, Google extended Gemini functionalities into the educational sphere by launching two new add-ons: Gemini Education and Gemini Education Premium. These features include AI-driven note-taking capabilities and enhanced data protection measures.

Embedding Gemini in Workspace Applications

Continuing its mission to integrate AI across its platforms, Google unveiled Gemini side panels within Workspace applications in June. These panels customize functionality based on the app’s context. For instance, Gemini can summarize email threads in Gmail or assist in creating presentation slides in Google Slides.

By November, the Gemini side panel was added to Google Chat, enabling users to summarize conversations efficiently.

Introducing Gemini Live

At the Pixel hardware event in August, Google launched Gemini Live, creating a dynamic conversational experience with the AI chatbot. Users can engage in natural dialogue and resume conversations even while the app runs in the background or while their devices are locked.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY5jwF7TQmE

Go Live with Gemini (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY5jwF7TQmE)

Initially part of the Gemini Advanced plan, this feature was later made available to all users via the Gemini app on both Android and iOS, with support for over 40 languages added shortly thereafter.

Creating Customized Gems

With the introduction of Custom Gems, users can now tailor their own Gemini chatbots for specific tasks, whether brainstorming ideas for events or serving as virtual tutors.

This premium feature is accessible to users of Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise plans across more than 150 countries. Users can explore premade gems or create new ones directly through the Gem manager.

Launch of Imagen 3 and Whisk Generator

In October, Google released Imagen 3, its top-tier text-to-image generation model, which seamlessly integrates with the Gemini ecosystem, supporting all languages. This model enhances the understanding of user instructions, allowing for the creation of photorealistic landscapes, artistic paintings, and imaginative scenes, with subsequent refinements possible.

In addition to Imagen 3, Google unveiled the Whisk tool, enabling image generation from existing images, further expanding its creative offerings.

Gemini Collaborations with Opera and Snapchat

Google partnered with Opera to integrate Gemini’s functionalities into its Aria in-browser AI, enhancing the browsing experience with advanced text-to-voice and image generation capabilities.

Furthermore, Snapchat collaborated with Google to improve its My AI chatbot, resulting in a more sophisticated multimodal experience. Reports indicate this integration boosted user engagement on the platform by 2.5 times in the United States.

Deep Research: A New AI Research Assistant

For those engaged in extensive research, the new Deep Research assistant aims to streamline the process. This tool facilitates thorough document analysis, summaries, and extraction of critical insights from large datasets.

We’re also introducing a new agentic feature called Deep Research in Gemini Advanced, a research assistant that can dig into complex topics and create reports for you with links to the relevant sources. pic.twitter.com/imYd4tktEG

— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) December 11, 2024

Deep Research is available as part of Gemini Advanced, supporting over 45 languages across more than 150 countries.

Navigating with Natural Language in Maps

A recent enhancement to Google Maps now allows users to perform natural language searches. For example, typing “things to do with friends at night”yields summarized reviews of suggested locations, offering a more intuitive browsing experience.

Streaming from Spotify

With Gemini’s latest updates, compatibility with Spotify was introduced alongside YouTube Music. Users can now request songs, browse playlists, and search music using lyrics through the Gemini interface on Android, provided they have a Spotify Premium account.

Controversies Surrounding Gemini

Despite its advancements, Google’s Gemini has faced controversies. In February, the image generation feature was criticized for bias, leading to a temporary suspension of the service while Google addressed concerns.

Other reports noted incidents of unauthorized PDF summarization, even when specific settings were disabled. Additionally, findings revealed a team of contractors helped evaluate Gemini’s output against competing models, raising questions about response similarities.

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