Summary
I did not expect Gemini to text me out of the blue on Google Messages!
I was eager to test it out, but do we really need another AI chatbot in our lives?
I decided to find out!
I learned it was rolled out this way on a few models of Samsung and Google Pixel phones.
I’ve been underwhelmed with Google’s recent “AI Overview” addition to their search results.
Gemini’s search results and AI overview capabilities do not have any bearing on other AI-powered tasks.
So I was willing to take it up on its offer.
Chat with me to draft messages, brainstorm ideas, plan events or simply have a fun conversation."
My response was to first verify it wasn’t a scam text.
Then, I responded, “Are you free?”
Because even if the text wasn’t from scammers, I worried that Google was just as capable!
If You Have the Free Version
I have the minimumGoogle One subscriptionthat gives extra storage.
I do not have the “AI Premium” subscription for $20/month or $99/year.
With it, you’re free to ask Gemini to do things like create a Slides presentation.
The more specific the prompt, the better the presentation.
Then, like with any AI-generated material, you check for accuracy and edit however you like.
Effectively,Gemini AI has replaced Google Assistant.
The free version is a Chatbot that works like ChatGPT or Perplexity AI.
You ask it questions, and it draws from data sets of knowledge updated by Google.
It knew about sports news and scores that occurred only a few days ago.
Its database feels like kept reasonably current.
What Can You Use the Free Version For?
It doesn’t seem to compete with them at the moment.
However, there are other tasks out there that those chatbots don’t do well.
I have not found Perplexity or ChatGPT to be useful for short-form communication like texts or emails.
If Gemini can do it, I think that would be a unique use.
The World’s Most Difficult Text
Why not start with the hardest possible text to write?
A tricky text to a boomer mom or mother-in-law.
However, as boomers go, my mother is quite reasonable.
I think a carefully worded text would probably have been fine.
Could Gemini have saved the day?
Maybe suggest an alternative."
World’s Greatest Response?
Gemini responded, “Mom, thanks so much for the amazing invitation to Disney!
Maybe a closer [local zoo/children’s museum/park] visit in the near future?
We’d love to spend some quality time with you!
What a great response!
I probably would have changed the last sentence to suggest an alternate vacation.
My mom did,and I used AI to help with that as well.
However, I think this would have been a useful solution.
In fact, I can see Gemini being just as useful in the workplace.
Everyday Texts Didn’t Go as Well.
I was delayed an hour away from home and needed someone to pick up my youngest son from camp.
What followed was a series of short logistical texts between me and a babysitter.
Those apps will put your voice to text and send it to any of your contacts.
The letters were acceptable but not as good as the one ChatGPT wrote for me.
This anecdotally supports my opinion that Gemini is best used for short-form writing like texts or emails.
The hairstylist review was excellent.
Each text to Gemini resulted in an entirely new conversation.
For me, this is a big deal.
You’d have to write the entire prompt over with the additional instructions.
You also can’t ask any follow-up questions.
If you’re free to’t have a conversation with it, is it even a chatbot?
Thankfully, this is only an issue when using Google Messages to access Gemini.
Gemini’s Data Security
When I asked Gemini “Do you remember previous conversations?”
in Messages, it said “I can’t access or remember previous conversations to maintain user privacy.
This response motivated me to do more research into Gemini’s data security.
Like most LLMs (Large Language Models) Gemini is a young software and a new technology.
Prompts and responses are saved and reviewed by human workers to evaluate Gemini’s responses.
This kind of data is crucial to improving the technology, but you’re free to easily opt-out.
To do this, turn off “Gemini Apps Activity” in your Google Account tweaks.
Will Gemini Continue on My Phone?
I will not be keeping the Gemini app, but I will continue to text it through Google Messages.
It’s so convenient to copy and paste its short responses right into another conversation or app.
I don’t want to lose that option, and foresee myself using it a few times a week.
For now, Gemini feels unfinished compared to other AI models, but I’m glad it texted me.
