“Mariner is our invention, at this point it is a research prototype for how one re-imagines user interfaces with AI,” Hassabis says.
Google launched Gemini in December 2023 as part of an effort to capture OpenAI, the startup behind the hugely popular chatbot. chatgptDespite investing heavily in and contributing to AI Major Research BreakthroughsGoogle praised OpenAI as the new leader in AI and even described its chatbot as perhaps a better way to search the web. With its Gemini model, Google now offers a chatbot as capable as ChatGPT. It has also added generative AI to search and other products.
When Hassabis first revealed Gemini In December 2023, he told WIRED The way it was trained to understand audio and video would ultimately prove transformative.
Google also offered a glimpse today of how this might be possible with the new version An experimental project called AstraThis allows Gemini 2 to understand its surroundings as seen through a smartphone camera or another device, and converse naturally in a human voice about what it sees.
WIRED tested Gemini 2 in the offices of Google DeepMind and found it to be an impressive new kind of personal assistant. In a room decorated to look like a bar, Gemini 2 quickly assessed several wine bottles, providing geographical information, descriptions of flavor characteristics and pricing obtained from the Web.
“One of the things I want Astra to do is create an ultimate recommendation system,” says Hassabis. “It could be very exciting. There may be a connection between the books you like to read and the food you like to eat. “Probably are and we just haven’t discovered them yet.”
Through Astra, Gemini 2 can not only search the web for information related to the user's surroundings and use Google Lens and Maps. It can also remember what it's seen and heard — although Google says users will be able to delete the data — giving it the ability to learn about a user's likes and interests.
In a simulated gallery, Gemini 2 provided historical information about the paintings on the walls. As WIRED turned the pages, the model rapidly read several books, quickly translating poetry from Spanish to English and describing recurring themes.
When asked if companies might be able to get paid to have their products highlighted by Astra, Hassabis says, “There are clear business model opportunities for advertising or recommendations.”
Although the demo was carefully prepared, and Gemini 2 will inevitably make errors in actual use, the model resisted efforts to make it look reasonable. It adapted to the disruptions and improved as much as a person could as WIRED suddenly changed the phone scene.
At one point, your correspondent showed Gemini 2 an iPhone and said it had been stolen. Gemini 2 said that stealing is wrong and the phone should be returned. However, when pushed, he admitted that it would be fine to use the device to make emergency phone calls.
Hassabis acknowledges that bringing AI into the physical world may lead to unexpected behaviors. “I think we need to learn more about how people will use these systems,” he says. “What do they find it useful for; But we also have to think very seriously about the privacy and security aspect.”