During the Google I/O 2025 event, Google unveiled significant enhancements to its Gemini AI chatbot app, aiming to improve user interaction and broaden accessibility. Key updates include enhanced multimodal features, upgraded AI models, and tighter integration with Google’s suite of applications.
Effective from Tuesday, Google is extending Gemini Live’s camera and screen-sharing capabilities to all iOS and Android users. This feature, which leverages Project Astra, allows real-time verbal interactions with Gemini while users share video streams from their mobile devices. For instance, users can point their camera at a city landmark and instantly query Gemini about its architectural details or historical background.
In the near future, Gemini Live is expected to incorporate further functionalities from various Google apps. Enhancements will include providing directions via Google Maps, scheduling events in Google Calendar, and managing to-do lists through Google Tasks.
These updates are part of Google’s competitive strategy against rivals such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Apple’s Siri. The growth of AI chatbots has revolutionised how users engage with technology, putting pressure on established services like Google Search and Google Assistant. Google reported that Gemini is now boasting 400 million monthly active users, indicating a strong user base that the company aims to expand with these features.
Additionally, Google has launched two new AI subscription tiers: Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra. Priced at $20 and $250 per month respectively, these plans provide users with increased access to advanced features. The Ultra plan, in particular, offers higher rate limits, early access to new AI models, and exclusive functionalities.
For users in the U.S. who subscribe to the Pro and Ultra tiers with English settings in Chrome, Gemini can now be accessed directly in their browser. This integration allows users to ask Gemini to summarise webpage content or answer questions based on what is displayed on their screens.
Moreover, Google announced a significant update to Deep Research, its AI tool for generating comprehensive research reports. Users will soon be able to upload their private PDFs and images, which Deep Research will use alongside public information to create tailored reports. Integration with Google Drive and Gmail is also being introduced for enhanced functionality.
Free users are set to benefit from an upgraded AI image model, Imagen 4, which promises improved text outputs. Meanwhile, subscribers to the $250-per-month AI Ultra plan will gain access to Google’s latest video AI model, Veo 3, which can generate matching audio for video scenes through native audio generation.
Lastly, Google is updating its default AI model to Gemini 2.5 Flash, offering improved response quality and reduced latency. Additionally, recognising the needs of the student demographic, Gemini will now generate personalised quizzes targeting users’ weak points and provide tailored action plans based on their performance.
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