Google quietly publicizes its subsequent flagship AI mannequin

Update: Some users on social media report that the changelog has been updated to remove mention of Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental. The references have disappeared for this reporter as well. A Google spokesperson told TechCrunch that an “out-of-date release note” was “published in error.” The original story follows:

Google took the low-key route for the launch of its next-gen flagship AI model, Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental. Instead of a splashy announcement, the company revealed the model in a changelog for its Gemini chatbot app.

The launch of Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental — the successor to the Gemini 1.5 Pro model that Google launched last February — comes as the tech world remains fixated on Chinese AI startup DeepSeek. DeepSeek’s latest models, which are openly available for companies to download and use, match or best many leading models from American tech giants and AI companies in terms of performance. That’s led to a reckoning in Silicon Valley — and at the highest levels of the U.S. government.

Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental, which is available to Gemini Advanced users beginning Thursday, is now the leading model in Google’s Gemini AI family, the company said. It should provide “better factuality” and “stronger performance” for coding and mathematics-related tasks.

“Whether you’re tackling advanced coding challenges, like generating a specific program from scratch, or solving mathematical problems, like developing complex statistical models or quantum algorithms, 2.0 Pro Experimental will help you navigate even the most complex tasks with greater ease and accuracy,” Google writes in the changelog.

Gemini Advanced is a part of the company’s Google One AI Premium paid plan; it’s also available through Google’s Gemini for Google Workspace add-ons.

Google notes that Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental is in “early preview,” and can have “unexpected behaviors” — and may make mistakes. Also, unlike other Gemini models available in the Gemini app, Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental doesn’t have access to real-time information and isn’t compatible with some of the app’s features.

“We believe in rapid iteration and bringing the best of Gemini to the world, and we want to give Gemini Advanced subscribers priority access to our latest AI innovations,” Google continued in the changelog. “Your feedback helps us improve these models over time and learning from experimental launches informs how we release models more widely.”

Coinciding with the Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental release, Google has brought the Gemini 2.0 Flash model it announced in December to the Gemini app for all users. It’ll remain the default Gemini app model for the foreseeable future.