Google adds custom chatbots and improved image generation to Gemini
Google is rolling out two new features for its AI chatbot Gemini: custom chatbots called Gems and improved image generation powered by Imagen 3.
Subscribers to Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise can create their own AI experts called Gems. Users write instructions for the chatbot, give it a name, and then interact with it, similar to OpenAI's CustomGPTs. Gems can be used to create specialists for specific topics or goals, such as projects, brainstorming sessions, or social media posts.
At launch, Google is offering pre-made Gems for various scenarios, including a learning coach, idea generator, career advisor, writing consultant, and programming partner. Gems will be available in the coming days for Gemini Advanced, Business, and Enterprise users in over 150 countries and in most languages on desktop and mobile devices.
Video: Google
Imagen 3 brings back generated photos of people
Google is also introducing its new image generation software, Imagen 3, in Gemini. According to Google, Imagen 3 can generate high-quality images such as photorealistic landscapes, textured oil paintings, or clay animations. Like Imagen 2, it uses SynthID as a watermark for AI-generated images.
In the coming days, Google will also reintroduce the generation of people images for Gemini Advanced, Business and Enterprise users, initially in English. Imagen 3 does not support photorealistic, identifiable people, depictions of minors, or excessively violent or sexual scenes.
Google paused the creation of images of people in Gemini in February after users created historically inaccurate images, such as ethnically diverse Nazis. Those problems are now said to have been fixed, or at least mitigated. Google claims that Imagen 3 compares "favorably" with other available image generation models in terms of safety.
However, with Elon Musk offering a Flux model on X without major restrictions, even for political images, Google's actions may have limited impact. It only takes one major player to undermine the content ecosystem to the point where no one trusts images.
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