Google has announced the rebranding of its AI chatbot, Bard to Gemini. This change comes nearly a year after the tech giant introduced Bard as a direct competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT, signaling a strategic shift in Google's approach to AI-powered services.

Originally powered by Google's PaLM 2 language model, Bard has transitioned to the newer and more advanced Gemini Pro LLM, marking a pivotal upgrade in its capabilities. The rebranding effort aims to align the chatbot's identity more closely with the underlying technology, a strategy reminiscent of OpenAI's naming convention with ChatGPT and its GPT platform.

With this transition, users will now access the service via gemini.google.com. You will be redirected to the new URL if you're used to going to bard.google.com. Google assures that the core functionalities of the service remain intact, offering a seamless experience across the same range of languages and countries previously supported by Bard.

In addition to the rebranding, Google is enhancing user accessibility by launching a dedicated Gemini app for Android devices. This move addresses the limitations of browser-based interactions on mobile phones, providing a more integrated and user-friendly platform for engaging with Gemini's features, including text prompts, image uploads, voice commands, and image generation. While the app is currently available only in the United States with English language support, Google plans to extend its availability to include Japanese and Korean languages, with further expansions on the horizon.

For iOS users, Google has opted against a standalone app, instead integrating Gemini functionality into the existing iOS Google app. This integration will allow iPhone users to access Gemini tools directly, with language support and regional availability mirroring the Android app.

Google is positioning Gemini to replace Google Assistant on Android devices, prompting users to opt for Gemini as their default digital assistant. While Gemini promises to perform a broad array of tasks traditionally handled by Assistant, Google acknowledges that the transition will be gradual, with ongoing efforts to incorporate features not yet fully supported by Gemini.

According to Mervin Wenke, Google Philippines' head of communications and public affairs, the introduction of Gemini Advanced, a paid version of the service, signifies Google's commitment to offering a more robust AI tool capable of handling complex tasks and nuanced prompts.

Gemini Advanced uses Google's most sophisticated AI model, Ultra 1.0, delivering more advanced capabilities than Gemini Basic. These abilities span in-depth coding help, brainstorming for creative works, tailoring educational plans to individual needs, and powerful information analysis for thorough research. Furthermore, Gemini Advanced truly comes to life through its dedicated mobile app, as it grants the ability to use AI directly on photos, summarize content on the go, and even interact with smart home devices—truly putting sophisticated AI technology in your pocket, making Gemini a mobile-focused generative AI.

Initially aimed at business customers, Google's Duet AI suite is now being rebranded under the Gemini umbrella and made available to consumers through the Google One AI Premium plan. This expansion will bring advanced AI tools to popular Google applications like Gmail, Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Meet, further integrating AI into everyday productivity and communication tasks.

As Google continues to evolve its AI offerings, the rebranding to Gemini and the Android app launch represent critical steps toward a more integrated and accessible AI ecosystem for users worldwide.