Google has launched Gemini 2.0, its latest artificial intelligence model, which is claimed to be twice as fast as its predecessor.

This new version is set to power virtual agents that assist users in various tasks.

Gemini 2.0 can generate images and audio across languages and is designed to assist in Google searches and coding projects.

The new capabilities of Gemini 2.0 allow the creation of agents capable of thinking, remembering, planning, and even taking action on behalf of users.

Google director of product management Tulsee Doshi told reporters that the new capabilities of Gemini “make it possible to build agents that can think, remember, plan, and even take action on your behalf.”

Google, a part of Alphabet, has been working to maintain its dominance in search and advertising amidst the rise of AI tools from companies such as OpenAI, reported Bloomberg.

While Google has retained its market share in search, OpenAI’s integration of search features into ChatGPT is increasing competition.

Both companies aim to develop artificial general intelligence, software that performs tasks as well as or better than humans.

Google DeepMind chief technology officer Koray Kavukcuoglu said, “We want to build that technology — that is where the real value is. And on the path to that, what we are trying to do is try to pick the right applications, try to pick the right problems to solve.”

Google has incorporated more AI into its search engine, which remains crucial to its operations.

In December 2024, the company will begin testing Gemini 2.0 in search and AI Overviews, which are AI-powered summaries displayed at the top of Google search results. This will enhance the speed and quality of search results for complex questions, such as advanced math equations.

Developers now have access to an experimental version of Gemini 2.0 Flash, a fast and efficient AI model.

Google claims it can better process images and approximate human reasoning.

Additionally, Google introduced a new web feature called “deep research,” enabling users to delve into topics with detailed AI-generated reports. This feature is available to users of Gemini Advanced, Google’s paid AI subscription product.

Globally, Gemini users can access a chat-optimised version of Gemini 2.0 Flash on the web. The model is expected to be integrated into more Google products in the coming year.

Google’s premier AI lab, Google DeepMind, is increasingly pivotal in product development, as seen in the expansion of Project Astra, an AI agent using smartphone cameras for visual input processing.

DeepMind researcher Greg Wayne highlighted improvements in the agent since its introduction at Google’s developer conference earlier this year.

“The founding motto has been developing AI with eyes, ears and a voice, helping you in the real or the digital world,” Wayne said.

The agent now responds conversationally at human speed and handles requests more accurately.

Google is also testing Mariner, an experimental web-based assistant designed to aid users in online shopping and digital organisation.

During a briefing, Google demonstrated two additional AI agents under internal testing. Jules, an AI-powered code agent, focuses on fixing software bugs and handling routine programming tasks. Another unnamed AI agent for video games aims to assist players by reasoning about the game and offering real-time suggestions.

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