In the ai arms race, google morphs into gemini

Microsoft’s Copilot Pro subscription also costs $20 a month. It lets subscribers employ Copilot with Microsoft 365 apps such as Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word, and because of

Microsoft’s huge investment in OpenAI, the fee gives them access to GPT 4.  Microsoft is also rolling out new features. It just announced that Copilot subscribers can apply various effects

to images, such as blurring backgrounds, resizing between square and landscape, and giving more pop to an object’s colors. Meanwhile, a promising new AI-based search engine, Perplexity, also

has a $20 a month subscription with more advanced features than the free version. GEMINI IS THE NEW ASSISTANT If you download the free new Google Gemini app on Android, you can enter

prompts by typing, speaking or sharing an image. For example, were you to get a flat tire, you can snap a picture of the damaged tire with your phone and ask the AI to tell you what to do

next, says Google’s vice president and general manager for Gemini experiences, Sissie Hsiao. Or if you’re planning a dinner party, you can have Gemini create a custom image for the

invitation.  Worth noting: If you download the Android app and opt in, Gemini will become the primary assistant on your phone replacing Google Assistant, which only recently began to

incorporate generative AI. You’ll be able to summon it in the same way. Depending on your device, you can hit the power button, swipe from the corner of the display or say, “Hey, Google.” 

The Gemini app will feature an overlay that will let you accomplish various tasks, Hsiao says. You might generate a caption based on a picture that appears behind it or ask questions about

an article you’re reading.  Other Google Assistant-type features also will be available within the Gemini app, letting you make calls, set timers and control smart home devices with your

voice, she says.