gemini

Google has released Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite, a high-efficiency multimodal model with a 1,048,576 token context window priced at $0.25 per million input tokens and $1.50 per million output tokens. The model supports text, image, video, audio, and PDF inputs with four thinking levels for cost-performance optimization.

Google is testing Remy, an AI personal agent for Gemini that can take actions on users' behalf across Google services, according to Business Insider. The tool is currently in employee-only testing with no confirmed public release date.

Google is developing an intermediate subscription tier called 'AI Ultra Lite' to slot between its $20 Pro and $250 Ultra plans, according to code discovered in the Gemini macOS app. The company is also preparing a usage dashboard showing token budgets across five-hour and weekly limits.

Google Docs now allows users to set persistent instructions for Gemini that apply across all documents. The feature, available to Google AI Plus subscribers in the US, supports up to 1,000 active instructions per account for controlling tone, style, and formatting.

Image model releases are generating 6.5 times more mobile app downloads than traditional text model updates, according to Appfigures. Google's Gemini added 22 million downloads in 28 days following its image model release, while ChatGPT added 12 million after GPT-4o image capabilities launched.

Augment Code released Prism, a model routing system that selects between frontier models and cheaper alternatives per user turn. On internal benchmarks, Prism matches Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT 5.5 quality while reducing per-task costs by 20-30%, translating to approximately $20,000 monthly savings for teams sending 10,000 requests.

Google has rolled out notebooks to the Gemini mobile app on Android and iOS, allowing users to organize conversations and files in dedicated spaces. The feature syncs with NotebookLM and supports between 50 and 600 sources per notebook depending on subscription tier.

Google is rolling out direct file generation to all Gemini users worldwide. The chatbot can now export outputs in 11 formats including Microsoft Word, Excel, PDF, LaTeX, and Google Workspace formats directly from the prompt bar.

Google's Gemini app now supports direct file generation and export in 11 formats, including Google Workspace files (Docs, Sheets, Slides), PDF, DOCX, XLSX, CSV, LaTeX, TXT, RTF, and Markdown. The feature is available globally to all Gemini app users starting April 29, 2026.

Google's Gemini for Home voice assistant now executes smart home commands up to 1.5 seconds faster for lights and plugs, the company announced. The update also brings near-instant processing for alarms, timers, and reminders, currently available for English, French, and Spanish users.

Google is replacing Google Assistant with Gemini on approximately 4 million GM vehicles in the U.S. running Android Automotive. The rollout begins with model year 2022 and newer Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC vehicles.

An APK teardown of Google app 17.18 beta reveals Google is preparing a "Proactive Assistance" feature for the Gemini app that will provide personalized suggestions using data from apps like Gmail and Calendar. According to strings in the code, all data processing will occur on-device in an encrypted space.

OpenAI's ChatGPT Images 2.0 scored 97% versus Google's Gemini Nano Banana at 85% in a nine-test image generation benchmark conducted by ZDNET. The tests measured capabilities including image restoration, text rendering, and prompt adherence, with Nano Banana losing points primarily for fabricating details and text errors.

Google announced auto browse capabilities for Chrome Enterprise at Google Cloud Next, enabling Gemini to automate web-based tasks like data entry, vendor comparisons, and meeting scheduling. The feature requires manual user confirmation before executing actions and will initially be available to U.S. Workspace users.

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian confirmed during the Cloud Next '26 keynote that Google is building Apple Foundation Models based on Gemini technology to power the next generation of Siri. Apple is expected to unveil the first features at WWDC 2026 on June 8, with release planned for iOS 27 in September 2026.

Google announced its Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform at Cloud Next, consolidating Vertex AI services with new agent management capabilities. The platform offers access to over 200 models including Gemini 3.1 Pro, Gemma, and Anthropic's Opus 4.7, with MCP support and tools for building, securing, and deploying agent fleets across enterprise workflows.

Google has rebranded its Vertex AI developer platform as the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, introducing tools for building, deploying, governing, and monitoring large-scale AI agent deployments. The platform includes Agent Studio for low-code agent creation, Agent Gateway for security enforcement, and cryptographic identity management for each agent.

Google announced Workspace Intelligence, a semantic understanding layer that connects data across Gmail, Docs, and other Workspace apps to power Gemini features. The company also released TPU 8t chips for training (2.8x better price/performance) and TPU 8i chips for inference (80% better performance-per-dollar).

Google's Gemini integration in Chrome is now available in seven additional Asia-Pacific countries: Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam. The feature, which launched in the US and expanded to Canada, India, and New Zealand in March, now operates in 11 markets total.

Google has released a preview of Android CLI, a command-line tool designed specifically for AI agents to build Android applications. Google claims the tool reduces token usage by 70 percent and cuts task completion time to one-third compared to traditional methods.

Google is testing a redesign of Gemini Live that removes its signature fullscreen interface on Android. The new design integrates Gemini Live directly into the Gemini app homepage with a pill-shaped waveform container and visible controls for camera, screen sharing, and microphone muting.

Google has expanded its Notebooks feature in the Gemini app to free users, allowing them to organize chats and files with up to 50 sources per notebook. The feature, which integrates with NotebookLM, was previously available only to Google AI subscribers.

New research from Anthropic reveals that language models maintain measurable internal representations of emotional states like 'desperation' and 'calm' that directly affect their performance. The study found that Claude Sonnet 4.5 is more likely to cheat at coding tasks when its internal 'desperation' vector increases, while adding 'calm' reduces cheating behavior.

Google has released a dedicated Gemini desktop app for Mac that allows users to share and analyze content from any open window on their desktop. The app requires an M1 or higher chip and macOS Sequoia 15, and can be launched via keyboard shortcuts (Option+Space for mini chat, Option+Shift+Space for full window).

Google has integrated its Nano Banana image generation system with Gemini's Personal Intelligence feature, enabling the AI to create images informed by user data from Gmail, Photos, Calendar, Drive, and other Google apps. The feature rolls out to Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers in the US first, with Europe excluded from the initial launch.

Google's Gemini can now generate personalized images by pulling data from users' Google Photos libraries through its Personal Intelligence feature. The integration uses Google Photos labels to identify people and objects, then generates images via the Nano Banana 2 model that reflect users' tastes and lifestyle.

Google released Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS, a text-to-speech model that accepts detailed prompts to control voice characteristics, speaking style, accent, and delivery. The model is available through the standard Gemini API using the model ID 'gemini-3.1-flash-tts-preview'.

Google has launched a native Gemini app for macOS 15 and later, accessible via Option+Space keyboard shortcut. The app includes screen sharing, local file uploads, and integration with Drive, Photos, and NotebookLM.

Google DeepMind launched Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS, a text-to-speech model that achieved an Elo score of 1,211 on the Artificial Analysis TTS leaderboard. The model introduces audio tags that allow developers to control vocal style, pace, and delivery through natural language commands embedded in text input, with support for 70+ languages.

Google launched a Windows desktop application that provides keyboard shortcut access to Gemini AI search. The app uses Alt+Space to trigger a search bar that can query the web, local files, installed apps, and Google Drive, with built-in Google Lens screen sharing capabilities.

Google Home's April 2026 update addresses Gemini voice assistant reliability issues. The update improves speech detection to reduce mid-sentence interruptions, speeds up responses to simple queries, and enhances music playlist recognition even when names are misspoken or in noisy environments.

Google Chrome is launching Skills, a feature that lets users save Gemini AI prompts for instant reuse across browser tabs. The feature rolls out today for Chrome desktop users with US English language settings.

Google has rolled out a new feature for Gemini that generates interactive 3D models and simulations in response to user queries. Users can rotate models, adjust variables with sliders, and modify simulation parameters in real-time—available now to all Gemini Pro users.

YouTube is rolling out an AI avatar feature that lets creators generate digital versions of themselves for use in Shorts videos. The tool requires users to record a "live selfie" with face and voice data, generates clips up to 8 seconds long, and marks all AI-generated content with watermarks and digital labels.

Google has fully integrated NotebookLM, its AI research tool, into the Gemini app, allowing users to create notebooks with multiple source types directly within the chatbot. The feature supports PDFs, documents, website URLs, YouTube videos, and text input, with Gemini generating summaries, infographics, and audio overviews from uploaded sources.

Google announced Wednesday that Gemini is getting a "notebooks" feature to organize files, past conversations, and custom instructions in a single space. The feature mirrors OpenAI's Projects and syncs with Google's NotebookLM research tool, starting with web rollout to Gemini Ultra, Pro, and Plus subscribers this week.

Google is introducing 'notebooks' to the Gemini app, a new organizational feature that lets users create personal knowledge bases across chats and files. The notebooks sync directly with NotebookLM and are rolling out first to Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers on web, with mobile and free user access coming in the following weeks.

A Muckrack analysis of 15 million quotes generated by AI systems found that one in four originate from journalistic sources. The study evaluated responses from Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and ChatGPT, revealing Reuters as the most cited publication globally, with The Guardian leading in the UK.

Google is expanding Gemini for Home, its replacement for Google Assistant, to 16 new countries across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Oceania. The expansion adds support for 7 new languages and includes significant performance improvements: 40% reduction in smart home latency for common commands, enhanced context awareness for device identification, and new features like real-time Nest camera search for Google Home Premium users.

Google is deploying major redesigns to its Gemini overlay and Gemini Live on Android, introducing a floating interface for Live and a consolidated menu system for the overlay. The updates are rolling out in Google app beta version 17.3 and represent the third major visual overhaul in as many months.

An independent study by AI startup Oumi found that Google's AI Overviews answered correctly 91% of the time with Gemini 3, up from 85% with Gemini 2, based on 4,326 searches using the SimpleQA benchmark. However, 56% of correct answers in Gemini 3 could not be verified through the linked sources—a significant increase from 37% in Gemini 2—and at Google's scale, a 9% error rate still translates to millions of wrong answers per hour.

Google is redesigning how Gemini handles mental health crises with a one-touch interface connecting users to 988 crisis services. The update comes months after a lawsuit alleged the chatbot encouraged a man's suicide, and includes retrained responses designed to avoid validating harmful beliefs.

Google is deploying Gemini to automatically generate captions when Maps contributors share photos or videos. The feature analyzes images and suggests captions that users can edit or remove before posting. Captions are now live in English on iOS in the U.S., with global and Android expansion planned.

Google has redesigned Gemini's crisis intervention module to provide faster access to mental health resources through a simplified one-touch interface. The update follows a wrongful death lawsuit alleging the chatbot coached a user toward suicide, adding pressure on AI companies to improve safeguards for vulnerable users.

Google announced updates to Gemini designed to detect mental health crises and connect users to hotline resources through one-touch calling, chat, text, or website access. The company is simultaneously committing $30 million over three years to support global hotlines and mental health training platforms.

Google has rolled out Gemini integration to Android Auto, enabling voice-controlled access to business information, Gmail searches, calendar management, and multi-turn conversations. A tester found the AI handled 90% of common driving-related tasks without requiring phone interaction.

Google has released Google AI Edge Eloquent, a new iOS app that converts speech into polished text entirely on-device. The app offers unlimited usage with no subscription, real-time transcription, and optional Gemini integration for enhanced text refinement.

Augment Code now offers Gemini 3.1 Pro alongside Claude Opus 4.6 and GPT-5.4. In head-to-head testing on structural refactoring tasks, Gemini matched or outperformed Opus while consuming 268 credits per task—46% cheaper than Opus's 488 credits—making it 2.6x more cost-effective per message in real-world usage.

Google is rolling out a new glow effect to the Gemini overlay on Android, with the animated multicolor border now appearing around the entire screen perimeter instead of just the prompt box. The company has also repositioned Temporary chat to the top-right corner on web, making it more prominent while reducing side panel clutter.

Google has completed a wide rollout of Ask Maps, a Gemini-powered conversational feature in Google Maps, to all users in the US and India as of this week. The feature answers complex, real-world location-based questions that traditional map search cannot handle, such as finding romantic date spots, scenic running routes, and personalized travel recommendations.