Chatbots supercharged with artificial intelligence are the next best thing to happen on the web since the introduction of search engines. Google understands this. This is the reason rolled out its Bard conversational generative artificial intelligence chatbot to compete with ChatGPT from OpenAI and Bing Chat or Copilot from Microsoft. Furthermore, to reposition better its chatbot and tie it better to its underlying large language model, Google also rebranded Bard into Gemini beginning on 8 February 2024.
From Search Engine to Chatbot: A Look Into the Advantages and Disadvantages of Gemini
Pros of Gemini: Notable Advantages and Applications
1. Built Based on Gemini
Gemini was upgraded from the PaLM large language model to the Gemini model on 6 December 2023. This multimodal LLM rivals and even somewhat outperform the GPT-4 model from OpenAI. It was trained using a large dataset, various and specific natural language processing tasks and use cases, and has an estimated to have 30 trillion parameters. This equips Gemini with generative and problem-solving capabilities similar to ChatGPT and Copilot. The newer versions of the Gemini model starting from 2.0 Flash and 2.5 Pro are now considered as both LLMs and reasoning models.
2. Human-Like Conversations
A notable advantage of Gemini is that it can understand prompts entered through text or speech using natural language and even generate human-like conversations. This chatbot can answer queries and respond to instructions. It is similar to virtual assistants such as Google Assistant or Siri from Apple but its conversational capabilities are comparable to generative and reasoning chatbots ChatGPT and Copilot or newer ones like Grok and DeepSeek because it is based on text-based and audio-based natural language processing and a large language model.
3. Specific Generative Capabilities
Text generation is the core feature of this chatbot. It can produce texts in different styles and formats like news articles, blog posts, letters, and email messages. It is also capable of creative writing. This chatbot can also translate languages with near-human accuracy. It can be used as a question-and-answer platform or for helping with reasoning or creative thinking. Gemini can also generate and debug codes in different programming languages. Moreover, beginning in 2024, the Imagen text-to-image model of Google has been integrated to enable image generation.
4. Real-Time Access to Websites
Another notable advantage of Gemini is that it has access to the worldwide web via Retrieval Augmented Generation or RAG framework. It can access and process information from the real world through Google Search or browse through provided web links while keeping its responses consistent with search results. This can be useful in doing quick research because it has real-time access to up-to-date information similar to Copilot. Take note that the free versions of ChatGPT and DeepSeek have emulated this development to allow users have real-time access to the web.
5. Google Services and Gems
The capabilities or features of this chatbot are also extended via built-in integration called Apps. This connects Gemini to other applications and services to allow dat access and perform actions within those applications or services. Examples include Spotify and YouTube app extensions. This chatbot also has so-called Gems. These are customized versions of Gemini that are either pre-made or made by the users themselves for a more tailor-fitted use case and experience. A user can define the purpose, desired tone, behavior, and interaction style of a particular Gem.
Cons of Gemini: Notable Disadvantages and Limitations
1. Biases, Inaccuracies, and Ambiguities
Chatbots and LLMs can provide biased or inaccurate information. This is also one of the biggest disadvantages of Gemini. The dataset used to train its model can still include biased data. It is also not always accurate or its response can be misleading or outdated. Another disadvantage of this chatbot is that it can hallucinate and produce vague responses to prompts or made-up answers despite having access to external data sources like websites or attached documents. It does not always understand the context of a question and can sometimes produce irrelevant responses.
2. Notable Creative Limitations
This chatbot is also not always creative. Remember that it can provide ambiguous responses or answers that are not relevant to the questions. Some of its responses can be unoriginal or repetitive. It is also important to underscore the fact that it can lack original thinking because of its creative limitations. This means that it can generate creative texts such as poems or lyrics to songs that are similar to other works that were produced before. The emerging use of generative chatbots also mean that their outputs are becoming similar and unoriginal.
3. Does Not Cite or Link Back to Sources
Gemini can be used for research purposes because it can generate information or relevant answers to specific questions. However, when used for trailing, users should be cautious. It does not cite its sources nor does it provide links to supposed factual statements unless by default unless explicitly prompted or if it felt it needed to search the web. Provided links need to be double-checked for both reliability and relevance. Google encourages users to validate the information that its chatbot is providing. Gemini cannot be a standalone tool for research purposes.
4. Notable Inconsistencies in Responses
The chatbot was asked if it can analyze documents. The first answer explained that it can analyze an entire document and the user only has to send it the particular file. However, when asked how a user can send a file or if it has an option for uploading a document, it explained that it does not accept documents and it does not have the ability to read and understand documents. This is true for long-form content. Inconsistency is another disadvantage of Gemini. The same has been observed in web searchers or when asked if it can read through provided web links.
5. Limited Generative Capabilities
ChatGPT has become popular for its extensive generative capabilities. This is especially true for the paid ChatGPT Plus version which uses better GPT language models. Gemini has creative capabilities but it has limitations that also restrict its generative capabilities. The free version would have a hard time writing long-form articles, producing lengthy works of fiction, generating detailed graphs, producing longer codes, and solving complex mathematical problems. The paid version can do some of these things but it still needs human review and some revisions.