Google on Wednesday unveiled a new artificial intelligence tool aimed at what Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai called the "agentic era." Google stock rose 5% in afternoon trade, surging to a record high.
Gemini 2.0, which Pichai says is the tech giant's "most capable model yet," features more powerful imaging and audio capabilities. Google introduced the tool a year after rolling out Gemini 1.0, in a sign of intensifying competition in AI.
"If Gemini 1.0 was about organizing and understanding information, Gemini 2.0 is about making it much more useful," Pichai said in a blog post.
Gemini 2.0 underscores the growing focus on AI agents, programs that enable users to interact with pretty much any environment. The technology exploded in popularity among consumers with the release of ChatGPT two years ago.
The focus on AI agents has also increased in the enterprise as businesses turn more to artificial intelligence to improve their operations.
"Over the last year, we have been investing in developing more agentic models, meaning they can understand more about the world around you, think multiple steps ahead, and take action on your behalf, with your supervision," Pichai said. "Today we're excited to launch our next era of models built for this new agentic era."
Google stock rallied just over 5% to 194.53, setting a new all-time high.
The stock has jumped more than 11% this week, surging Tuesday on Google's new quantum computing chip. GOOGL stock's Relative Strength Rating rose to 82 after Tuesday's gain vs. 69 a week ago, according to IBD MarketSurge. The RS rating will surely increase after Wednesday.
