Google Bard May Introduce Paid Upgrade 'Bard Advanced' Powered by Gemini Ultra

Google Bard, the large language model introduced to compete with OpenAI's ChatGPT, may soon offer a paid upgrade called Bard Advanced. Code within the Bard website suggests that users will have the option to "Try Bard Advanced for 3 months, on us," indicating a potential paid subscription model after the trial period. While the code hints at integration with Google One, it's unclear whether Bard Advanced will be available across all Google One tiers or introduced as a new, higher-tier subscription.

Bard Advanced is expected to leverage Google's Gemini, the most capable AI model launched in December 2023. Gemini offers three tiers, including Nano, Pro (powering Bard in the US), and Ultra (not public yet but claimed to outperform other large language models). Google has stated that Bard Advanced will be powered by Gemini Ultra, featuring advanced math and reasoning skills.

Google has been testing Bard Advanced with a small group of users, and the code snippets suggest that the official release may not be far off. Similar to OpenAI's approach with paid tiers for advanced GPT versions, Google appears to be exploring a subscription-based model to cover the infrastructure and energy costs associated with running large language models. The move toward a paid tier could provide Google with a revenue stream for its advanced language models, especially when traditional ad-based models are not applicable in this context.