Google has announced the availability of Gemini 1.5 Flash in the unpaid version of Gemini for faster and more helpful responses. This follows its unveiling at the Google I/O 2024 event in May.
Alongside this, Google is introducing a new feature to address hallucinations and expanding their Gemini for Teens experience and mobile app to more regions.
Faster, Smarter Responses with Gemini 1.5 Flash
Google is upgrading the free-tier experience to Gemini 1.5 Flash. This update promises improvements in quality and latency, particularly in reasoning and image understanding.
Google is also expanding the context window to 32K tokens, allowing for longer and more complex conversations at no cost.
To maximize the larger context window, users will soon be able to upload files via Google Drive or directly from their device. This feature, already available in Gemini Advanced, will let users upload documents, like an economics study guide, and ask Gemini to create practice questions or analyze data files, generating insights and visualizations.
Related Content within Gemini’s Responses
Google has added links to related content for fact-seeking prompts within Gemini, helping reduce hallucinations and making it easier to explore informative websites.
This feature is available for English language prompts in certain countries. Users can click on the chip at the end of a paragraph to see related websites, and if Gemini references Gmail information, there will be inline links to relevant emails.
To combat hallucinations, Gemini’s double-check feature uses Google Search to verify responses, highlighting statements corroborated or contradicted on the web.
Other New Features
Gemini in More Places
Google has introduced the ability to chat with Gemini directly in Google Messages on select Android devices.
- This feature is now rolling out to the European Economic Area (EEA), UK, and Switzerland, with support for languages like French, Polish, and Spanish.
- The Gemini mobile app is also being expanded to more countries starting today.
Expanded Access for Teens
In the coming weeks, Gemini will be accessible to teenagers globally in over 40 languages. Teens who meet the age requirement to manage their own Google Account will use Gemini for educational purposes and creative projects.
Google has implemented additional policies and safeguards for teens, including a teen-specific onboarding process and an AI literacy guide. They have partnered with child safety and development experts to ensure the platform meets the unique needs of teens and families.
Responsible Design of Gemini
Google emphasized their commitment to responsibility and user safety in Gemini’s development.
They have shared more about their approach and policy guidelines on their website, detailing how they navigate complex topics, including those of public interest, political, religious, or moral beliefs. These guidelines are grounded in their AI Principles.
Availability
Gemini 1.5 Flash is now available to all Gemini users on both web and mobile platforms, in more than 40 languages and over 230 countries and territories.