Google launches most powerful model to date in AI race

Gemini L5 is able to ingest and put out content in text, audio, video and code

- Krist Boo

The race to make the most useful generative artificial intelligence (AI) assistant for workers has gone up a notch, with Google launching Gemini 1.5.

The foundation model, labelled a "game changer" and the most powerful Google has produced, runs larger quantities of data than any other available to deliver more contextualised answers in shorter times.

Simply put, the algorithm could crunch the equivalent of one hour of video, 11 hours of audio, 700,000 words, or 30,000 lines of code in response to a user's single prompt.

Other models such as Anthropic Claude 2.1 manage up to one-fifth of Gemini 1.5's one million tokens of data, while OpenAI GPT-4 can handle one-eighth.

The new model is also the only multimodal one in the market, meaning it can ingest and put out content in not only text but also audio, video and code.

Gemini 1.5 first revealed in February was among almost 30 new products and product improvements shown by the tech giant's cloud division at its annual Google Cloud Next conference in Las Vegas on April 9.

News of its roll-out immediately sparked headlines touting that the California-based firm is back in the game - even in the lead - in the race for AI supremacy after a hesitant start and a series of disappointing demonstrations with previous models.