In the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), the race for supremacy has witnessed a new player, Google, unveiling its latest creation, Gemini. Positioned as a groundbreaking model, Gemini claims to possess remarkable abilities, from unraveling magic tricks to acing accountancy exams. However, as the tech giant strives to showcase its innovation, a closer inspection reveals that Google is still in the shadows of OpenAI, particularly its well-established model, GPT-4.
A Technical Faceoff: Gemini vs. GPT-4
A crucial element in assessing AI models lies in their technical prowess. Google provides a detailed table illustrating how Gemini, especially the Ultra1 variant, compares to OpenAI’s GPT-4. The benchmarks cover areas such as high school physics, professional law, moral scenarios, highlighting the significant capabilities that define the ongoing AI competition.
Despite Google’s efforts, Gemini Ultra1 manages to surpass GPT-4 by only a marginal percentage on most benchmarks. This raises questions about the substantial advancements Google claims to have made, considering OpenAI’s completion of GPT-4 at least a year ago. Moreover, Google’s Ultra variant is yet to be unveiled, potentially leaving room for OpenAI’s next model, GPT-5, to take the lead.
A Closer Look at the Demo: Impressive, Yet Familiar
Accompanying the technical comparison is a demonstration video that astounded many in the tech community. The model showcases exceptional abilities, such as tracking a paper ball under a cup or predicting a dot-to-dot drawing before completion. While these feats demonstrate the reasoning capabilities honed by Google’s DeepMind AI lab, several of the showcased abilities are not exclusive and can be replicated by ChatGPT Plus.
However, it’s essential to note that the video is edited, and Google explicitly mentions, “For the purposes of this demo, latency has been reduced, and Gemini outputs have been shortened for brevity.” The actual response times are likely longer than presented in the video. Additionally, the demo wasn’t conducted in real-time or voice, raising concerns about the authenticity of the portrayed interaction.
Unveiling the Marketing Strategy: Google’s Grand Narrative
Beyond the technicalities, Google strategically positions Gemini in the broader market, emphasizing its extensive team of AI researchers and unparalleled access to data. The company aims to highlight its deployment network by integrating less-capable versions of Gemini into Chrome, Android, and Pixel phones. This move is reminiscent of Nokia and Blackberry’s struggle against Apple’s iPhone, emphasizing the importance of having the best-performing systems in the tech industry.
Google’s timing aligns with the recent upheaval at OpenAI, attempting to capitalize on the uncertainty surrounding the smaller AI startup. Reports indicate that Google initiated a sales campaign to woo OpenAI’s corporate customers amid a board coup that briefly ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Now, with the launch of Gemini, Google seeks to ride the wave of uncertainty.
Navigating Google’s Uncertain Sprint: A Pinch of Skepticism
While Google’s demos might create a buzz, history shows that impressive technology doesn’t always translate into sustained success. Previous innovations like Duplex have faded into the background, emphasizing the significance of delivering practical, impactful products. Google’s massive bureaucracy and intricate layers of product management have, in the past, hindered swift product shipments, unlike the nimble approach of OpenAI.
In the realm of AI’s transformative effects, Google’s strategic maneuvers need to be viewed with a measured perspective. Despite the grand narrative, Google is still catching up, and as the AI saga continues, the race for dominance remains a dynamic and unpredictable journey.
