Google is reportedly developing a paid upgrade to Bard called Bard Advanced. Based on Gemini Ultra, the top tier of Google's large language model, Bard Advanced will offer advanced math and reasoning skills. Google confirmed Bard Advanced when it unveiled the Gemini models in late December but didn't share any details about its features or pricing. Now, X users Bedros Pamboukian and Dylan Roussel have spotted hints of the upgrade in Google's web code, suggesting that Bard Advanced might be available through a paid Google One subscription, with the first three months free. In addition, a new feature codenamed Motoko may allow users to create custom bots, and a chatbot store "Sparkle" may also be in the works. It's unclear when these features will become official or how they will be priced. By offering a paid tier, Google may be hoping to recoup some of the costs associated with running large language models, especially the most powerful ones like Ultra.

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Online journalist Matthias is the co-founder and publisher of THE DECODER. He believes that artificial intelligence will fundamentally change the relationship between humans and computers.
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