Google Gemini Advanced: What it is, how to use it, should you get it

Google recently launched Gemini Advanced, the company's subscription tier follow-up to Bard and competitor to ChatGPT Plus and Copilot Pro. It uses an entirely different LLM, Gemini Ultra 1.0, as the underlying basis for its text generation, and can integrate into Google's suite of applications. With a Gemini Advanced subscription, you also get 2TB of Google Drive storage and a bunch of other Google One perks, too. There's a lot that you get, and for the right person, Gemini Advanced is the perfect AI subscription service.

What does Gemini Advanced come with?

More complex tasks, Gemini in Google Suite, more Google Drive storage

Gemini Advanced doesn't quite offer as much versus the free tier when comparing only Advanced to Gemini. Google says that it's powered by the Ultra 1.0 model which is more capable of completing complex tasks, but that's not all there is to it. When you purchase the "AI Premium" subscription for Gemini Advanced, you're actually buying a Google One subscription tier.

That Google One subscription tier comes with 2TB of Google Drive storage, Gemini in Google's suite of applications like Docs, Sheets, and more, and other features like longer Meet calls. It's a decent amount you get for your money, though the free tier of Google's Gemini Advanced can already do things like generate images. There's a lot of stock being put in the better model Google claims powers Advanced, though that's hard to visualize and display to a user in a replicable fashion.

How to sign up to Gemini Advanced

Step 1: Try out Gemini first

Gemini is free for anyone to use so long as you have a Google account. Simply navigate to Gemini's website and click to sign in, and you'll be brought to the prompt window where you can converse with it and try it out. There's also an Android app for Gemini, though it's not rolled out everywhere yet. It will eventually replace the Google Assistant when it does roll out, though.

Step 2: Try the free trial

If you enjoy using Gemini, there's a free two-month trial of Google's "AI Premium" tier you can try out now. It'll give you Gemini Advanced and all of the other features for two months for free, and you can get to grips with it and see if you enjoy it. There's no obligation to stay on for any length of time and you can cancel it whenever you want, so it's a great, hassle-free way to give it a go.

If you do like it, it'll cost you $20 a month after that, and it's attached to your Google account. You keep the other perks, like the additional Google Drive storage, so that alone may make it worth it.

Should I buy Gemini Advanced?

It's not for everyone

Whether you should buy Gemini Advanced depends on a few factors, but given that it's free for two months, it probably makes the most sense to just try it first and see what you think of it. There's no drawback to giving it a shot and seeing if it suits your workflows, but there are a few reasons to believe it may work for you before you commit to using up your free trial.

First and foremost, if you're ingrained in the Google ecosystem and use Docs, Sheets, Slides, and all of the other Google applications, that already is a major plus in favor of Gemini Advanced. Like someone who may purchase Copilot Pro because they have a Microsoft 365 subscription, it makes sense to want to use Gemini with office-suite applications that Google offers.

Who should buy Gemini Advanced?

Gemini Advanced is most suitable for:

• Those already using ChatGPT Plus or Copilot Pro and looking for an integrated solution within Google's ecosystem, offering a seamless AI experience across multiple uses. This is especially true if you are unhappy with ChatGPT Plus or wish that it could do more.
• Students and learners who want to use it for research, thanks to the citations that Gemini gives. It can also create quizzes for practice and help with explaining advanced concepts.

Gemini Advanced is a great option for people in Google's ecosystem, and given that there's a free two-month trial, it's worth a shot to see if it fits your uses or not. You can always cancel whenever you want, so the best way to find out if it's for you or not is to simply set it up and give it a go. It can't hurt to try, and I've been having a lot of fun playing around with it since it launched.

If you don't want to hand your data over to a cloud-based LLM, you can run an LLM on a powerful computer, along with other AI tools, too. There are a lot of options out there to get started with AI, so give them a try and see what you think!