Google has unveiled a new feature to let users talk to its generative artificial intelligence tool, Gemini, just as they would speak to a friend or an expert over the phone.
The new tool, Gemini Live, will allow users to have a back-and-forth conversation, where they can ask questions, brainstorm strategies, share ideas and even get advice in a natural and interactive way, the Alphabet-owned company announced on Tuesday.
The significance of the new feature lies in its ability to transform AI from a static or one-way conversational tool into a more integrated and responsive assistant.
Users can pause the conversation and return to it later, or interrupt to delve deeper into specific points of interest.
It is also available hands-free. Users can keep talking with the Gemini app in the background or even when their phone is locked, like a regular phone call.
“Gemini is becoming so much more than just a chatbot,” Amar Subramanya, vice president for engineering at Google Gemini, told media while introducing the feature.
“It is your well-trained personal assistant that is getting smarter day by day. It is fundamentally a different way of providing help to users in the moments that matter to them.”
Google said that while AI unlocks powerful new capabilities, it sometimes behaves in “unexpected ways or provides inaccurate information”.
Mr Subramanya said Google is working to minimise such cases by integrating user feedback and constantly evolving the technology.
The company, based in California, is competing with Microsoft-backed Bing and ChatGPT for a greater share of the generative AI market.
It had originally launched Gemini, previously known as Bard, in February last year.
In December, Google launched its first multimodal model, Gemini 1.0, in three sizes – ultra, pro and nano.
That was followed by an enhanced version, 1.5 Pro, with a one million-token context window. The latest 1.5 Flash is trained on up to a two million-token context window.
In natural language processing, a token refers to a single word or character.
Despite serious efforts and huge investment, Gemini has yet to show any significant contribution to the company's sales.
Google services business accounted for nearly 87.2 per cent of the company’s total sales in the second quarter of this year.
It added nearly $73.9 billion to overall revenue, nearly 11.5 per cent more on an annual basis. The company did not disclose the contribution of Gemini.
Who has access to it?
Gemini Live, first unveiled at the Google I/O conference in May, was introduced on Tuesday. At first, it will be available only in English and on Android smartphones.
The company said it plans to expand it to Apple’s iOS operating system and in more languages in coming weeks.
The company is trying to make interactions feel more natural and personalised.
It is offering Gemini Live in 10 different voices, with users able to select the one that best suits their preferences in terms of tone and style.
How much will it cost?
Gemini Live is available to users who have subscribed to the paid Gemini Advanced subscription.
To gain access to Gemini Advanced, users need to subscribe to the Google One AI premium plan that costs $19.99 a month.
It is available in 150 countries, including the US, the UK, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Users can sign in with their personal Google account. They must meet minimum age requirement of 18 years or above to use Gemini Advanced.
Growing competition in generative AI market
The introduction of Gemini Live marked an important moment in the competitive generative AI market, particularly in Google’s rivalry with OpenAI's ChatGPT.
In May, OpenAI launched GPT-4o, an updated version of the underlying large language model technology that powers ChatGPT.
Google aims to differentiate Gemini Live from the latest version of ChatGPT by emphasising natural interaction and personalisation.
Its ability to offer real-time, conversational assistance, combined with customisable voices, places it as a formidable competitor in the AI assistant market. For users, this means more customised experiences.
Regional entities are also taking aim at the leaders. In May, Abu Dhabi's Technology Innovation Institute introduced the second version of its large language model, Falcon 2, to compete with models developed by Google and OpenAI.
In the same month, Core42, a unit of Abu Dhabi's AI and cloud company G42, launched a bilingual Arabic and English chatbot developed in the UAE, Jais Chat.
And then, there's xAI's Grok, from OpenAI's friend-turned-enemy, Elon Musk.
Grok's current version, Grok-1.5, is available only to subscribers of X's Premium+ tier, which starts at $16 a month, or $168 a year.
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
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6027 – Dh 100
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Continental champions
Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)
Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)
Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)
Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)
Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)
Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)
Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Wallabies
Updated team: 15-Israel Folau, 14-Dane Haylett-Petty, 13-Reece Hodge, 12-Matt Toomua, 11-Marika Koroibete, 10-Kurtley Beale, 9-Will Genia, 8-Pete Samu, 7-Michael Hooper (captain), 6-Lukhan Tui, 5-Adam Coleman, 4-Rory Arnold, 3-Allan Alaalatoa, 2-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1-Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16-Folau Faingaa, 17-Tom Robertson, 18-Taniela Tupou, 19-Izack Rodda, 20-Ned Hanigan, 21-Joe Powell, 22-Bernard Foley, 23-Jack Maddocks.
Notable Yas events in 2017/18
October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)
December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race
March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event
March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis
MATCH INFO
Schalke 0
Werder Bremen 1 (Bittencourt 32')
Man of the match Leonardo Bittencourt (Werder Bremen)
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
