Gemini Can Be The Biggest AI Platform So Long As Google Integrates It In More Areas [Video]

According to Google, we’re in the “Gemini era,” and although there are other players in the space, if the company can continue to integrate, we could be in this era for a long time to come.

AI is developing at insane rates

Arguments for and against AI are compelling on both sides of the fence. The idea that someone can be replaced by artificial intelligence leaves a sour taste in the mouth, but when used as a tool in a variety of circumstances, platforms like Gemini can be truly useful additions to your regular workflows.

The landscape of AI development has been insane over the past 3 to 4 years alone. We’ve gone from janky image generation to almost lifelike video clips being possible in practically no time. The speed at which things change or make leaps has been nothing short of astronomical.

Personally, I’m an AI skeptic. I feel like it’s a tool that you can use a bit, like the Pen tool in Photoshop. Maybe a simple editing or proofreading/reframing tool that you can use for your writing or your documents. Maybe image generation can even be used for fun purposes, such as meme creation.

I’m disgusted with the idea that AI could and, let’s be real for a second here, replace artists and musicians, but at the same time, if used correctly, it can be a way to aid those creative endeavors. There will always be nefarious actors and people looking to use AI as a shortcut to do things that take time to build or time to learn.

I’m off my soap box now, but the point still stands. If we have a huge proliferation of AI, we will all need to be more aware of the risks and benefits.

Not the most popular destination but found in more places

Back to Gemini, and while most people probably know ChatGPT or are more aware of OpenAI’s platform, the company is yet to make a profit and can’t match one of the biggest weapons in Google and Gemini’s arsenal – the potential userbase. There are lots of supposed reports stating that OpenAI’s site gets millions more visits than the Gemini site each month, but that fails to see how Gemini is already starting to gain integrations in the world’s most used apps and services.

This is probably the strongest argument in favor of Gemini as the dominant, I guess, public AI platform. At least in theory, you do not need to do anything if you already have or use Google products. Gemini will replace the Google Assistant, apps and services like Gmail, Photos, and Maps, and the massive suite of Google apps is slowly gaining functions that utilize Gemini functions. Some of these integrations are simple search or summary tools, but OpenAI simply cannot reach the same install base without the partnerships that the company is rigorously building right now with the likes of Microsoft, Apple, and many more.

Nobody in the industry can match that potential level of reach without an extensive push to get people to adopt their platforms. A push to get over 1 billion people using your products would cost an exorbitant amount and Google has that reach right now with effectively zero spend.

Android is the world’s most popular mobile platform and with Gemini set to become the default voice assistant within the next year or so, a huge number of people will be exposed to the service.

There is also very little difference to a “normie” between the free tier and the AI Premium Plan. Google has been pretty good at rolling out functions to basic accounts, with model updates being sizeable enough to notice improvements in response and reasoning, plus the quality of information you will get with queries and questions.

Keeping functions behind a paywall isn’t a viable long-term strategy or solution in this instance because limiting the usability might be fine for the most basic use cases, but are people going to pay upwards of $20 a month to do a few more complex tasks? I’d wager no. 

ChatGPT can only offer access to its AI platform – mostly at chatgpt.com or in the dedicated mobile app. Google has the backing of cloud storage, email services, photo storage, and potential video and music with the YouTube platform, and that’s the tip of the iceberg. There is a possibility that Google could bundle all of this into one flat fee, and still, it wouldn’t be more than $25 a month. As I noted, OpenAI only really has ChatGPT as its “core” product, so it simply can’t compete on all those fronts in the same way. The company also requires you to go out of your way to use even the chatbot function, it can never be as ubiquitous for that reason despite the fact that ChatGPT is almost synonymous with AI to most people.

Just going back to Android for a second. Because Gemini is effectively decoupled from the OS, you don’t need a specific update to get the latest functions. All Google has to do is to flip the switch and billions of people are on the latest model or get access to the newest developments. It’s hands-off from the end user perspective, which is usually for the best at least when it comes to new developments.

This is especially important when you consider the speed at which new Gemini models are being pushed out. From the early days of Bard to now, the quality and consistency of the things you can do has vastly improved. It’s more than just a parlor trick masquerading as a “helpful” tool. Gemini can do lots of things now that a couple of years ago was not possible.

Entering the visual AI age

One of the biggest potential strengths of Gemini is visual search. Circle to Search was one of the early versions of this, but the introduction of Astra-powered visual search is one of the first major steps to give us a world-facing camera that can reason and provide useful information.

It’s still rolling out for Advanced plan subscribers, but the idea is that you can allow Gemini to access the camera, then get real-time feedback to go with your questions. It’s Gemini Live, but with the visual element baked in, it is capable of giving you responses based on camera or even screen content. OpenAI has vision capabilities with GPT-4o, but it’s not integrated or has no integration right now. Maybe it will in the future, but Gemini, in tandem with Astra, can, at least in theory, do much more.

While other platforms like DeepSeek are making strides in specific areas, such as coding, and Claude is gaining traction with its strong emphasis on conversational AI and safety, they lack the broad ecosystem and integration potential of Gemini. Gemini’s ability to seamlessly integrate with Google’s ecosystem, from Maps to Photos, creates a user experience that competing platforms cannot currently match. 

This level of integration, coupled with the rapid pace of Gemini’s development, positions Google to dominate the AI landscape in the long term and the company has the cash and runway to effectively bleed the competition dry. I’m not advocating for one player to dominate the AI space, but it looks like that could be the playbook from afar.

Ultimately, while other players are focusing on niche strengths, Gemini’s ability to be ubiquitous and deeply integrated into the tools we use on a daily basis and by the billions, will likely be the determining factor in its success. AI bros will no doubt disagree and you might too. Competition keeps competitors sharp and – at least in theory – that is one of the best things about the tech space.

No matter who ultimately dictates or leads in AI integration, it’s an interesting time as we kind of move away from traditional software paradigms and see AI play a bigger role in our devices, software, services, and way more. It’s almost like you can’t escape it – rightly or wrongly.

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