Tag: Gemini

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Google’s Gemini surges to 950 mn monthly users

Google has delivered a strong statement in the global artificial intelligence race, with CEO Sundar Pichai announcing that Gemini now has 950 million monthly active users. The milestone, revealed during Alphabet’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call, underscores how rapidly Google’s AI chatbot has grown and positions it among the world’s most widely used AI platforms.

The announcement comes amid intense competition in generative AI, where companies including OpenAI, Meta and Anthropic are racing to attract users and launch more capable AI models. It also follows comments attributed to Meta’s Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang, who reportedly questioned Gemini’s popularity. While Pichai did not respond directly, the latest user figures have become Google’s strongest answer to such criticism.

According to Pichai, Gemini’s daily active users have tripled over the past year, reflecting rising adoption among both consumers and businesses. He said Google’s continued investments in AI research, infrastructure and product integration have helped Gemini reach users at an unprecedented pace.

Unlike standalone AI chatbots, Gemini is deeply embedded across Google’s ecosystem. It powers AI features in Search, Gmail, Google Docs, Android, Chrome and Workspace, enabling users to draft emails, summarise documents, answer complex questions, generate code and complete everyday tasks more efficiently. This broad integration has played a key role in accelerating user adoption.

Google has also expanded Gemini’s presence in enterprise software through Google Cloud, where businesses are increasingly using the AI assistant to automate workflows, improve customer service, analyse data and assist software development. As more organisations embrace artificial intelligence, enterprise demand has become an important growth driver for Gemini.

Pichai said Google’s advantage lies in its ability to combine cutting-edge AI models with its own cloud infrastructure, custom-built AI chips and billions of existing users across its products. This “full-stack” strategy allows the company to roll out new AI capabilities at scale while continuously improving performance and reliability.

The strong momentum in AI was reflected in Alphabet’s latest financial results. The company reported robust second-quarter revenue growth, driven by continued strength in Search, Cloud and AI-powered services. Google Cloud emerged as one of the fastest-growing businesses, benefiting from rising enterprise demand for AI infrastructure and generative AI tools.

Gemini’s rapid growth also highlights how the AI landscape has evolved over the past two years. When OpenAI launched ChatGPT, many industry observers believed Google had fallen behind despite years of AI research. Since then, Google has accelerated development of Gemini, introduced more advanced AI models and integrated them across nearly every major product.

The competition, however, remains intense. OpenAI continues to expand ChatGPT’s capabilities, while Meta is investing billions of dollars to strengthen its AI ecosystem. Anthropic and several other AI companies are also introducing increasingly sophisticated models, making innovation and user engagement key battlegrounds.

Rather than focusing only on benchmark scores, technology companies are now measuring success through real-world adoption and everyday usage. In that context, reaching 950 million monthly active users marks a significant achievement for Google and demonstrates that Gemini has become a mainstream AI assistant used across work, education and personal productivity.

Industry experts believe the next phase of competition will depend not only on building smarter AI models but also on making them more useful, accessible and seamlessly integrated into people’s daily lives. Google’s strategy of embedding Gemini across its products appears to be paying off, helping millions of users interact with AI without needing a separate application.

With Gemini now closing in on the one-billion-user milestone, Google has strengthened its position in the global AI race. For Sundar Pichai, the latest figures serve as clear evidence that the company’s long-term investments in artificial intelligence are translating into rapid user growth and expanding influence in one of the technology industry’s most competitive sectors.

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Gemini powers Google’s new home speaker

Google is making a fresh push into the smart home market with a new Google Home speaker powered by its Gemini artificial intelligence platform, betting that advanced AI can reignite interest in smart speakers.

The device marks Google’s first major smart speaker launch in nearly six years and represents a shift away from traditional voice assistants. Instead of responding only to simple commands, the new speaker is designed to hold more natural conversations, understand context and handle multiple requests in a single interaction.

Powered by Gemini for Home, the speaker allows users to speak in a more conversational manner. Users can ask follow-up questions, control multiple smart home devices at once and receive more detailed responses without repeating commands.

Google says the speaker has been built specifically for AI-first experiences. It features improved voice recognition, better noise handling and local AI processing to make interactions faster and more reliable. The device also acts as a hub for connected smart home products and supports industry standards such as Matter and Thread.

The company hopes the product will help it compete more effectively with Amazon’s Echo range and Apple’s growing smart home ecosystem. Industry experts believe the integration of generative AI could give smart speakers a new purpose after years of limited innovation in the category.

The speaker is expected to be available from June 25 and comes with access to premium Gemini features for early buyers. Google has reportedly fixed thousands of software issues during testing to improve the user experience before launch.

With AI becoming central to consumer technology, Google is positioning Gemini as the future of home assistance, transforming smart speakers from simple voice-controlled gadgets into more capable digital companions.

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Google introduces Gemini for science

Google has introduced Gemini for Science, a new artificial intelligence initiative aimed at helping scientists and researchers handle complex research work more efficiently. The company said the tools are designed to support researchers in analysing information, identifying patterns and assisting with scientific discoveries across different areas of study.

Research today often involves handling huge amounts of data, studies and technical information. Google said Gemini for Science is intended to reduce the time spent on repetitive and data-heavy tasks so researchers can focus more on experiments and innovation.

The AI system can assist in reviewing scientific papers, organising large datasets and helping researchers identify possible connections and insights that might otherwise take much longer to find. The technology is expected to support work in areas such as healthcare, biology, chemistry and other scientific fields.

Google said the goal is not to replace scientists but to create a tool that works alongside them, helping improve productivity and speed up the research process. Experts believe AI-powered research tools could become increasingly important as scientific work becomes more data-driven.

The launch reflects the growing role of artificial intelligence beyond consumer technology, with companies increasingly building specialised AI tools for research and industry applications.

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Sarvam AI beats global rivals in India tests

India’s artificial intelligence ecosystem has received a major boost as Sarvam AI, a Bengaluru-based startup, has outperformed global AI models such as Google Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT in several benchmarks designed around India-specific use cases. The achievement has attracted international attention and highlighted the growing strength of indigenous AI innovation.

Sarvam AI’s success comes from its focus on challenges unique to India, including multilingual content, diverse scripts, and complex document formats. While many global AI models are designed for broad, international applications, they often struggle with regional languages and locally used documents. Sarvam has addressed this gap by building models specifically trained for Indian conditions.

One of its key products, Sarvam Vision, is an advanced optical character recognition (OCR) system capable of reading and understanding complex documents. These include scanned government records, handwritten text, tables, and pages containing multiple Indian languages in a single layout. In recent benchmark tests, Sarvam Vision scored higher than competing systems from major global players, demonstrating superior accuracy and reliability.

Another major highlight is Bulbul V3, Sarvam’s text-to-speech model. Bulbul V3 has been developed to generate natural-sounding voices in Indian languages and accents. The system currently supports more than 35 voices and is designed to eventually cover all 22 official Indian languages. In listening and performance tests, Bulbul V3 delivered clearer pronunciation and more natural speech than several international alternatives, particularly for Indian language outputs.

Experts say Sarvam’s performance shows the importance of building AI systems that are locally trained rather than globally generic. Its models are seen as especially useful for sectors such as government services, banking, education, healthcare and customer support, where Indian languages and document formats are widely used.

The achievement has also strengthened the idea of “sovereign AI”  technology developed within the country to meet national needs and reduce dependence on foreign platforms.

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Google Maps Gets Smarter with AI in India

Google Maps is introducing a series of AI-powered features in India, marking a significant upgrade to the popular navigation app. Leveraging Google’s Gemini AI, the update aims to make travel smarter, safer, and more personalized for users across the country.

One of the key additions is voice-powered assistance while driving. Users can now ask questions such as “Where is the nearest petrol pump?”, “Find parking nearby,” or “Take me to a good restaurant,” and receive instant guidance without needing to type. The app also provides quick tips about locations, including advice on markets, restaurants, and local attractions. For example, it can highlight popular stalls in a market or suggest bargaining tips.

Safety is another major focus. Google Maps will alert drivers about accident-prone zones, display speed limits, and notify users of major traffic disruptions even when they are not actively navigating. The app also integrates information from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), offering real-time updates on highway closures, ongoing repairs, and available amenities like fuel stations and restrooms.

India-specific features have also been added for two-wheeler users. Riders can now customize their navigation icon according to their bike or scooter style, while voice guidance supports nine Indian languages, helping users navigate complex roads and flyovers more easily. Additionally, integration with Google Wallet allows users in cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Kochi to save metro tickets for easy access through Maps.

With these updates, Google Maps is positioning itself as a more intuitive, user-friendly, and safety-conscious navigation tool for Indian users. The rollout will begin gradually on Android and iOS devices in the coming weeks, offering a mix of AI-driven convenience and localized travel support.

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