In the rapidly evolving world of creative professionals, staying ahead of the curve is not just an option, it's a necessity. Google's AI tools have been at the forefront of this transformation, particularly with innovations like Gemini and NotebookLM. But how do these tools compare to the ever-popular ChatGPT? Let's dive in and explore why Google's AI tools are poised to become the next industry standard.
Google AI Tools Transforming Creativity
The Rise of Gemini
2024 marked a significant year for Google AI with the introduction and subsequent updates of the Gemini AI model. From its debut to the advanced iterations, Gemini has been a game-changer for creative professionals. It's not just an AI; it's a powerful assistant that can elevate your projects with minimal effort on your part.
Gemini 1.5 and Its Impact
In February 2024, Google introduced Gemini 1.5, which brought more robust capabilities to the table. It enabled faster, more accurate generative outputs, making it a must-have for any creative project. Whether you're drafting blog posts, designing graphics, or editing videos, Gemini's advanced algorithms provide that extra edge.
Pro Tip: Integrate Gemini 1.5 into your workflow to automate mundane tasks and focus more on your creative vision. It’s like having an intern who never sleeps or complains about getting coffee.
NotebookLM: The Creative’s New Best Friend
One tool that has garnered a lot of attention is NotebookLM. Launched in 2024, this AI-powered notebook is a dream come true for content creators. It allows you to organize, analyze, and even get insights from your notes and resources. Whether you're brainstorming ideas or managing complex projects, NotebookLM keeps everything streamlined.
Audio Overviews and Customizations
In September 2024, Google introduced Audio Overviews in NotebookLM, allowing users to listen to summaries of their notes. This feature is particularly useful when you're on the go or need a quick refresher. Plus, with the ability to customize these overviews, NotebookLM has become an indispensable tool for creative professionals.
ChatGPT: The Famous Contender
While Google's AI tools are making significant strides, we can't overlook the popularity of ChatGPT. Developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT has become the most famous AI service globally. Its ability to generate human-like text has made it a favorite among various industries. However, can it keep up with Google's integration and innovation?
Integration and Versatility
ChatGPT shines in its versatility and ability to blend with multiple services. From drafting emails to generating content, it offers a wide range of applications. But, as powerful as ChatGPT is, it currently lacks the deep integration with essential tools like Google Documents, Gmail, and YouTube, which are crucial for creative professionals.
Pro Tip: While ChatGPT is a great tool, having all your AI needs seamlessly integrated into your daily tools can save time and enhance productivity.
An Insider’s Perspective
Let me take a moment to share a little about myself. I’m Andrea Riezzo, a creative professional with 20 years of experience in web design, blogging, video production, photography, and graphic design. I’ve seen many tools come and go over the years, but the progress made by Google AI is truly impressive.
Having used both Google AI tools and AI assistants that use the ChatGPT model extensively, I can confidently say that Google’s seamless integration with the platforms we use every day, like Google Docs, Gmail, and YouTube, makes a significant difference in the long run. It streamlines workflows and improves productivity in ways that standalone tools simply can’t match.
We can also analyze the outputs returned by the two AIs in various “real life” scenarios, but maybe I’ll do that in another post. Gemini 2.0 is currently smarter and “understands better” a human prompt, which can have many subtexts that are impossible for a machine that starts from a language model to decipher.
What’s coming in 2025?
Gemini 2.0: the most anticipated version
Google has big plans for Gemini in 2025. Currently in its experimental phase, Gemini 2.0 is set to revolutionize the way we interact with artificial intelligence in our creative processes. With advanced features and broader integration across Google products, Gemini 2.0 aims to reach 500 million users and become the standard version used worldwide.
These numbers seem like random numbers, half a billion users are unimaginable. However, Sundar Pichai can certainly imagine them using Google products powered by perhaps the most advanced AI on the market.
Gemini 2.0 Flash: Speed and Precision
Building on the success of Gemini 1.5 Flash, the new Gemini 2.0 Flash version offers enhanced performance with equally fast response times.
In particular, 2.0 Flash even outperforms 1.5 Pro in benchmarks, at twice the speed. It also comes with new features, supporting multimodal inputs such as images, video, and audio, as well as multimodal outputs such as natively generated images mixed with text and multilingual text-to-speech (TTS) audio.
2.0 Flash can natively call tools such as Google Search, code execution, and third-party user-defined functions. Its user UI interaction capabilities, along with other improvements such as multimodal reasoning, long context understanding, following and planning complex statements, function invocation, native tooling, and improved latency, all work together for a product we can’t even imagine.
Keep an eye on Gemini 2.0 as early as 2025, who knows what it will become in December!
Practical AI Applications
Practical AI applications are a research area full of exciting possibilities. Google is exploring the field with a series of prototypes that can help people perform various "human" tasks. I dug deeper and I have to admit, I was surprised.
They include an update to Project Astra, a research prototype that explores the capabilities of a future universal AI assistant, the new Project Mariner, which experiments with human-agent interaction from the browser, and Jules, a specialized coding agent that can help a developer or team by simplifying numerous tasks.
NotebookLM Plus: Advanced Features for Google One Subscribers
NotebookLM Plus is set to launch for Google One subscribers in early 2025. This advanced version will offer additional features and capabilities, making it even easier to manage your creative projects. From advanced note organization to deeper integration with other Google tools, NotebookLM Plus is definitely one to keep an eye on.
Daily Listen: Personalized content on the go
Another exciting development is the Daily Listen feature, currently being tested in Search Labs. This personalized podcast will provide content tailored to your interests, keeping you up to date with the latest trends and news in your field. It’s like having a personal curator for everything that interests you.
Finally, a podcast that knows exactly what you want to hear!
Conclusion: The bright future of AI for creative jobs
As 2025 rolls on, the landscape for creative professionals continues to evolve, thanks to Google’s innovative AI tools. While ChatGPT remains the main player, Google’s AI tools like Gemini and NotebookLM are set to become the next industry standard.
Their seamless integration with essential platforms like Google Docs, Gmail, and YouTube will be the real factor that will set them apart and make them indispensable to our jobs.
It’s not about keeping up with every single update, it’s about finding what works for you and your projects. We’re looking forward to a year of innovation, creativity, and a pinch of irony to keep things alive and interesting.
Additional readings and resources:
- 60 of our biggest AI announcements in 2024 by Google
- Introducing Gemini 2.0: our new AI model for the agentic era by Google
- What are Google's big plans for AI in 2025?
- Sundar Pichai teases new Google AI products, features in ‘next few months’
