Free Gemini gets better and faster, European users will get it in Google Messages

Google announced a major update to Gemini that will affect all service users. The company revealed in a blog post that the AI engine is now running a 1.5 Flash language model, optimized for speed and efficiency. The new LLM has a 4x-longer context window (from 8K to 32K tokens), and overall responses should be improved in quality and accuracy.

The update also brings Gemini to Google Messages across Europe. It will be able to converse in newly added languages like French, Polish, or Spanish. The Gemini app is also being rolled out to more regions, with the new total being 230 countries and territories.

Gemini 1.5 Flash was introduced at Google I/O in May 2024 and quickly became available to paying customers. The expansion to the free version means more people will benefit from the longer, more complex prompts and receive better responses.

The LLM supports uploaded files from Drive or the device, but it is currently available only on Gemini Advanced. Amar Subramanya, VP of Engineering, revealed that the feature will also be added to the free tier “soon.”

Another improvement of the Gemini experience is adding related content after the initial response. Starting today, all prompts will have cards with additional information that is basically an AI-powered Google search but will also pull Gmail-related answers where needed.

Google plans to expand access for teens globally “in the coming weeks.” Currently, users who are older than 13 can access the AI; however, users in the European Economic Area (EEA) need to be at least 18 years old.

The new Gemini for Teens will have additional policies and safeguards in place, as Google partnered with child safety and development experts to provide expertise on “meeting the unique needs of teens and families”.

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