Google has announced the release of its new AI model, Gemini 2.0. This marks a step into what the company is calling the “agentic era” of AI.
CEO Sundar Pichai described the launch as the next major step in Google’s mission to “organise the world’s information and make it accessible and useful”.
What does it do?
Gemini 2.0 is more “agentic”. It’s more like a proactive, decision-making assistant than a chatbot. It can execute code and interact with third-party apps. It can carry out actions like running searches, booking appointments, or navigating a website.
One of the key features is “Deep Research”, a capability within Gemini Advanced that allows users to delegate research tasks to the AI. It can analyse complex topics, compile detailed reports, and return a summary for users.
Its other improvements over Gemini 1.0 include faster performance, the ability to create images and generate text-to-speech audio responses, and an extended context window, enabling it to handle more extensive conversations.
Availability
Gemini 2.0 is being rolled out in phases. Developers can access the model via the Gemini API through Google AI Studio and Vertex AI.
For everyday users, Gemini 2.0 will soon be available through Google’s AI assistant products, including the Gemini app. This version will offer users a “chat-optimised” experience that incorporates Gemini 2.0’s advanced reasoning and planning capabilities.
Market reaction
The announcement of Gemini 2.0 sent Alphabet’s (GOOG, GOOGL) stock surging to an all-time high. It’s up 12.18% over the past five days, and 39.76% year to date.
This rally follows an already strong week for Alphabet, which saw its stock rise 11% after the company revealed a new quantum computing chip called “Willow”.