South Africa becomes the first African country to get Google’s latest AI chatbot “Gemini”
Recently, Google announced the rebranding of its artificial intelligence chatbot from “Bard” to “Gemini” and is rolling out an advanced version of the software to the public. According to the global tech giant, the new Gemini Pro artificial intelligence model will be available in South Africa first before being rolled out in other markets across Africa.
Google launched its new Gemini AI model on Wednesday.SOPA Images/Getty Images
Gemini Advanced is now available in South Africa as part of the new Google One AI Premium Plan for R429.99/month, starting with a free two-month trial.
According to Google, searches related to AI increased 370% in the last year in South Africa and 650% over the last five years.
A survey by Google also found that South African respondents reported that they were already seeing the impact of AI on how they access information.
The global tech giant stated that they’re rolling out a new mobile experience for Gemini and Gemini Advanced with a Gemini app on Android and the Google app on iOS in South Africa next week.
“With Gemini on your phone, you can type, talk or add an image for all kinds of help while you’re on the go: take a picture of your flat tyre and ask for instructions, generate a custom image for your dinner party invitation or ask for help writing a difficult text message. It’s an important first step in building a true AI assistant — one that is conversational, multimodal and helpful,” the statement reads.
Part of the reasons Google gave for launching the new chatbot in South Africa was that they observed that Google searches related to AI increased 370% in the last year in South Africa and 650% over the last five years.
Another survey carried out by Google found that South African respondents reported that they were already seeing AI have an impact on how they access information, learn and work.
Gemini AI is not entirely free though
Amid the excitement and euphoria of the new update, Google has also announced that Gemini Advanced comes with a subscription service and is available for R429,99/month, starting with a two-month trial at no cost.
The tech giant said, “as part of our brand new Google One AI Premium Plan, this plan gives the best of Google AI and our latest advancements, along with all the benefits of the existing Google One Premium plan, such as 2TB of storage.” It added that AI Premium subscribers will soon be able to use Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Slides, Sheets and more.
According to Google, Gemini Advanced will give users in more than 150 countries and territories access to Ultra 1.0, our largest and most capable state-of-the-art AI model, better at highly complex tasks like coding, logical reasoning, following nuanced instructions and collaborating on creative projects. It’s currently available in English and will expand to more languages.
Gemini, formerly known as ‘Bard’, has seen a marked increase in performance and usage since its release in December. With the new update, the chatbot is expected to compete with OpenAI’s most advanced model, ChatGPT 4, and other available AI models.
