Google introduces Gemini 2.0 and new AI agents for users

Google has unveiled its latest artificial intelligence model, Gemini 2.0, which aims to usher in a "new agentic era" for AI applications. 

Released on December 11, this model is designed to support the development of advanced AI agents capable of understanding complex instructions, planning, reasoning, and taking actions across various platforms.

“The practical application of AI agents is a research area full of exciting possibilities,” DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and CTO Koray Kavukcuoglu highlighted the potential of these AI agents in a blog post.

Among the experimental projects powered by Gemini 2.0 are Deep Research, Project Astra, Project Mariner, and Project Jules. 

Deep Research assists users in exploring intricate topics by generating multistep research plans and compiling comprehensive reports.

Project Astra functions as a universal AI assistant for everyday tasks, providing recommendations based on user prompts.

Project Mariner is designed to control web browsers, enabling the AI to navigate websites, click buttons, and fill out forms autonomously.

Hassabis and Kavukcuoglu noted that while these projects are still in early development stages, they aim to make them widely available in future products after further testing.

“It’s still early, but Project Mariner shows that it’s becoming technically possible to navigate within a browser,” they remarked.

Additionally, Project Jules focuses on aiding developers by integrating directly into GitHub workflows for tasks like coding and planning.

The integration of Gemini 2.0 into gaming environments is also being explored, with AI agents providing real-time suggestions to players during gameplay.

As companies like Salesforce emphasize the importance of autonomous agents over large language models (LLMs), Google is positioning itself at the forefront of this trend.

While Google’s AI agents are currently being tested by developers and select users, the company is optimistic about their future applications across various sectors.