What you need to know
- Days after Google launched Gemini and new mobile apps, the company’s product lead for Gemini, Jack Krawczyk, promised fixes would come shortly.
- Less than a week later, Krawczyk followed up with a few Gemini improvements that have already rolled out.
- The fixes include better voice inputs on Android, reducing sign-in errors, and cutting down on refusals.
Google recently overhauled its AI efforts, rebranding Bard to Gemini and releasing new features, like support for Gemini on mobile. But it wasn’t perfect, at least not at launch. It was a slow rollout, so not all users were able to access every new Gemini feature. Those who were able to access Gemini’s newest functionality ran into a few issues.
However, Google was quick to respond to the concerns. Jack Krawczyk, the Gemini product lead at Google, assured users that fixes were on the way. While some issues still persist, Krawczyk took to X (formerly Twitter) with an update Friday. That came a day after Google surprisingly gave its AI models a boost with the release of 1.5 Pro.
When Krawczyk first noted that Google was swiftly working on fixing some of Gemini’s most crucial bugs, refusals were at the top of his list. Now, Krawczyk says that Google has cut down on refusals by roughly half in a little over a week since Gemini launched.
Additionally, Google has updated the Gemini app to automatically enter voice requests after the user has finished speaking. This move is intended to make using Gemini feel similar to using the classic Google Assistant. Previously, users had to manually enter their requests after speaking, which limited Gemini’s usefulness as a hands-free assistant.
Gemini‘s mobile app was initially limited to the U.S., although it has since launched in more countries. The AI assistant was also limited in language support. This limitation forced eager users to change their Android device‘s language setting to English, hopefully allowing them to sign in. There were some sign-in errors related to using this method of activating Gemini, but Krawczyk says many of these are fixed.
Gemini (https://t.co/4axIwqpUYX) end of week update/recap:Blown away by all the people who have shared using Gemini to help them with things like iterating through a business strategy using their preferred framework, working through possible solutions to a gnarly coding…February 16, 2024
Gemini is also more widely available to Android users as of now. “Most users have access to mobile in iOS via the Google app and Android via Assistant opt in,“ Krawczyk wrote. “Still continuing to progressively roll it out.”
Looking back to Krawczyk‘s initial list of “things to fix ASAP,” there are a few things left unsettled. Some of those include wider support for Assistant tasks, coding help, and the removal of some “preachy” guardrails. Fixes for those are presumably still on the way.
But considering how quickly Google has shipped early Gemini improvements, it likely won’t be much longer.
