gemini – Teknotum

Google releases Gemini 3.8 Flash & Cyber — inching towards the frontier

Especially the Cyber version outpaces the frontiers at a fraction of the cost. (Picture: Google/generated)

Less than three weeks after releasing Gemini 3.7 Flash, its successor is already here. 3.8 Flash excels at analytical legal and financial tasks in benchmarks, outperforming the bigger frontier models.

It slots in with 59 points on Artificial Analysis, between GLM-5.3 and DeepSeek V4, and they note it is fairly cheap ($0.75/1M in/$3.75 out), fast and verbose.

3.8 Flash uses more tokens and does more work even on simple queries than 3.7-Flash, so as a stopgap, 3.7 will continue to be available on the Gemini app and API.

Gemini 3.8 Flash Cyber is the star of this release, however, and shows performance slightly beating the biggest frontier models on CyberGym at a much lower cost.

It is currently used in protecting Google’s own code, where it doesn’t just discover vulnerabilities, it also helps to write the patches for the solution.

Gemini 3.8 Flash is available today for most of the Gemini ecosystem to paying subscribers. The Cyber variant is only available to «trusted defenders.»

Read more: Google’s presentation The Verge, Ars Technica, and 9to5Google. Discussion on Hacker News and r/Singularity.

Google debuts «workhorse model» Gemini 3.7 Flash, just weeks after 3.6

Gemini’s latest «workhorse model» does well in coding and web dev, but is not on the frontier. (Picture: Google/generated)

After a management shakeup and worries over coding capabilities, Google is out with a new, fast mid-tier model that looks quite capable.

Gemini 3.7 Flash specifically addresses coding («strong gains»), web development («generates more functional layouts») and knowledge work («significantly outperforms 3.6 Flash»).

On Google’s selected benchmarks, it beats Claude Sonnet 5 (not to be confused with the more capable Opus 5) more often than not, goes toe to toe with GPT-5.6 Terra, and handily beats the previous generation, sometimes by a lot.

The Artificial Analysis index puts it just ahead of yesterday’s DeepSeek V4 Pro but behind Grok 4.6 and Muse Spark 1.2 and well below the larger frontier models.

Pricing is also favorable at $0.75/1M input tokens and $3.75/1M out as an «introductory price» lasting out the year, returning to $1.50 in and $7.50 out in 2027.

It is available as a «workhorse model» in Google’s developer tools, the API, enterprise platform and in Spark for Pro and Ultra subscribers in «supported countries,» meaning that the Spark agent isn’t available in Europe.

Read more: Google’s announcement, X post. Writeups on Axios, Ars Technica, and 9to5Google. Discussion on Hacker News and r/Singularity.

Google’s Gemini hits 1 billion monthly active users in apps and on the web

Gemini’s billion users only counts the ones using the app, not the myriad of connected services. (Picture: Google/generated)

Sundar Pichai just announced the new milestone, up from 950 million in July and 450 million a year before that. It’s the fastest growing Google service ever, and joins a host of 14 products crossing this line.

Gemini has grown steadily since 2025, according to web statistics service SimilarWeb, and now holds a 26.8% market share of web traffic to AI services, compared to ChatGPT’s 54.8% and Claude’s 9.7%.

On the occasion, Google’s Gemini VP Josh Woodward shared some usage tidbits, saying that 63% of interactions are from people using voice to talk to Gemini, and that 1 in 5 users use live camera feeds and screen sharing.

Gemini also generates over 150 million images every day, used more by businesses for marketing than for creating funny memes. Uploading attachments seems very popular by students, who do it 38% of the time.

Gemini is also plastered all over Google’s products and services in Workspaces, Google Search and all across Android. On Android, it can automate over 40 apps, which the EU is looking into, and they disclosed in 2025 that AI Overviews have over 2 billion monthly users. This headline number is however limited to the Gemini app and web service exclusively.

For comparison, OpenAI likely passed one billion weekly users in June 2026.

Read more: Sundar Pichai’s X post, Josh Woodward’s tidbits. Writeups on 9to5Google, The Verge, and Ars Technica.

Google user data: AI use hits 99% of occupations, but only 21% of tasks

Google finds most people use AI outside of work, and aren’t unlocking its full potential. (Picture: Adobe)

Google’s new AI usage study finds that AI has proliferated widely, but few (10%) are using it to automate tasks at work. Instead, it is mostly being used for collaboration and task assistance.

The ATLAS survey spans 15 million anonymized interactions with Google’s AI tools, used by around a billion people each month. It spans 150 countries, 140 languages, 800 occupations and 4,000 tasks.

The main point is that AI use at work is prevalent but «shallow,» meaning it is typically only used for 21% of tasks. It also finds that white-collar workers aren’t dominating AI like previously thought, with physical, manual and technical occupations showing strong use, using it for help with things like troubleshooting.

Home usage might be the biggest surprise of the survey, as over 86% of AI interactions happen «outside of work,» where people use it for researching purchases, help with appliances and tools, as well as navigating issues like taxes, licensing and fines, Google finds.

The ATLAS survey will be a long-term project for Google, they say, and will be used to track AI usage on an ongoing basis. «There are many more questions around AI and the economy where more work will be needed,» they write.

Read more: Google’s presentation, The research paper, Axios, and Fox Business.

Google attacks cost, efficiency and cyber with three new Gemini models

Gemini’s new cyber model is getting a limited release: (Picture: Google, GPT)

As Google reveals that Gemini has 950 million monthly users, they are releasing some new models. The long-awaited flagship Gemini 3.5 Pro is not one of them, as it has been postponed for performance reasons, particularly in coding capabilities.

The new models focus on cost and efficiency, particularly the Gemini 3.6 Flash, which reduces token use by 17% and as much as 65% in some benchmarks. It is also much less pricey, coming in at $1.50 per million input tokens and $7.50 in output.

3.5 Flash-Lite is built for faster agents, improving on 3.0 Flash in some cases and ticking in at 350 output tokens per second. It is also competitively priced, at $0.30 per million input tokens and $2.50/M for output.

Finally, Google is launching their first cyber model. 3.5 Flash Cyber is made for finding security vulnerabilities. It can detect, validate and patch security issues «at scale,» Google says, and is offered at a much lower cost than «larger models.» It is only available to governments and «trusted partners» as a limited access pilot program, just like Anthropic’s Mythos and GPT Cyber.

Despite not launching a new top model, Google is reporting strong growth of it’s Gemini offerings, outgrowing every other business segment with 82%, and they say it is used by 90% of the Fortune 100 companies.

Read more: Google’s introduction, DeepMind on Cyber, Sundar Pichai’s X post. Writeups on 9to5Google and CNBC.

From the grapevine; GPT-5.6 coming shortly, Mythos smashes the NSA, and Google’s upcoming «instant ramen»

Lots of talk on socials doesn’t always relate to hard news, but here are some topics making the rounds. (Picture: Adobe)

GPT-5.6 in overdrive on the hype machine
The rumor mill is kicking into high gear for OpenAI’s next GPT-5.6. It’s supposed to be largely on par with Fable 5, or kick it to the curb on some tests, according to X leaker Chetaslua who claims to have been testing it for a while.

OpenAI’s chief scientist, Jakub Pachocki, pre-announced the model as a «meaningful improvement,» but would not point to a timeline.

According to prediction markets, Kalshi has it out before July 15th, while Polymaket predicts it between June 30 and July 31, which seem like safe bets.

Continue reading “From the grapevine; GPT-5.6 coming shortly, Mythos smashes the NSA, and Google’s upcoming «instant ramen»”

Apple unveils «Siri AI» at developer conference, powered by Gemini

Apple’s new Siri can take all kinds of actions across apps. (Picture: Apple)

Apple finally revealed their new AI features at the Worldwide Developer Conference, conveniently packaged into «Siri AI» and as system-wide Apple Intelligence in the 27-series systems, due in beta later this fall.

The new Siri app brings wide world knowledge from Google’s Gemini and does all the things you’d expect, like carry natural language conversations, answer specific questions and do a web search. It can also scan your messages, emails, pictures «and more,» Apple says.

The feature can be invoked by swiping down from the Dynamic Island or by traditional methods, lies «on top» of the OS, understands «personal context» and has «on-screen awareness,» meaning it can read your app screens.

Also from the systemwide Apple Intelligence, iOS/macOS 27 gains enhancements in the camera app and writing tools, as well as a slew of handy AI features across Safari, Messages, Mail, Calendar and Phone apps.

The tool is English-only, requires an iPhone 15 Pro or later and is not available in the EU or China at launch «later» this year.

Read more: Apple presentation, Apple’s release, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, and The Verge.

Recapping Google I/O: New Gemini, video generator and search box

Google I/O produced a flurry of AI announcements, as expected, and since it’s hard to keep up with everything they launched, here is a small recap.

Read on for the news in short on the new Gemini, the Omni video model, new subscription plans, the Gemini Spark agent and the revamped search box…

Continue reading “Recapping Google I/O: New Gemini, video generator and search box”

Google reimagines the mouse pointer with AI-enabled commands

Commands are simple once the mouse knows where it is pointing. (Picture: Google)

The common mouse pointer hasn’t changed in half a century, Google says — so it has infused it with context-aware AI to let you simply speak to it.

The general idea is to have an AI system be aware of where or what you are pointing at, and then use the microphone on your computer to give simple commands without careful prompting.

This should allow for easier AI interactions like «show me directions» when looking at a building, or «book a table» while hovering over a restaurant.

This sort of pointer needs the OS or app to be context-aware, and there is no system like this yet. It is, however, rolling out in Gemini in Chrome «starting today,» and will roll out «soon» as Magic Pointer, a major feature of the freshly announced Googlebook.

It is also available to test in AI Studio, where you can use it to edit an image or find places on a map. Do note that the system uses your microphone.

Read more: Google’s blog, 9to5Google.

The European Union starts process to open up Android to AI competitors

Gemini is basically enjoying a monopoly for integrated system access on Android. The EU wants to change that. (Picture: generated)

Google has been aggressively implementing AI and Gemini on its platforms, such as web search — and Android. Right now, Gemini is basically the only AI with system access on the platform, and the EU sees room for improvement.

Under the Digital Markets Act, Google isn’t just another vendor — it’s one of seven dominant platforms, deemed «gatekeepers» to other services. That means it has to behave like a platform, like Windows, and offer equal access to its services.

The European Commission lists letting competing AI assistants have easy access to functions like sending emails, sharing and editing photos — and have system level access to control apps. It should also provide Android API access and support for free, they say.

Continue reading “The European Union starts process to open up Android to AI competitors”

Google launches macOS Gemini app

Fully featured Gemini, including nano banana and screen sharing — now for the Mac. (Picture: Google)

The Gemini app for macOS took just a few days to prototype and was fully developed in less than a hundred days, Ars Technica writes.

Once installed, it can be launched from the menu bar or by pressing Option+Space on the keyboard.

The app goes a bit further than ChatGPT on the Mac, letting you share your entire screen with Gemini, or just select apps, and otherwise has everything the web interface offers, 9to5Google reports.

The app/window sharing lets Gemini answer questions about spreadsheets, reports, web pages or code bases, Google says.

Read more: Get the app on Google, writeups on 9to5Google, MacRumors and Ars Technica.

Google’s AI Overview is wrong tens of millions of times per hour, NYT finds

Google gets it right more often than not, but 1 in 10 queries result in errors. (Picture: Adobe)

Sure, the measured accuracy by AI lab Oumi ticks in at a decent 90% — but when you scale it up to the sheer mass of Google’s traffic of more than five trillion searches per year, you get mind-boggling numbers of hundreds of thousands of «inaccuracies» per minute, the New York Times writes.

The test, conducted on the Gemini 3 generation of AI Overviews, was made using the SimpleQA dataset intended to probe for chatbot accuracy. It contains more than 4,000 questions with real, verifiable answers, that was made by OpenAI in 2024, Ars Technica reports.

Google’s AI answer machine pops up on every query these days, but it is difficult to tell precisely which model it uses for each task. For simple web searches, it might well opt for one of the faster Flash models rather than the more advanced Pro. It might also give different answers to the same question just milliseconds apart.

Google also doesn’t like the measurement being used, telling the NYT that «This study has serious holes. It doesn’t reflect what people are actually searching on Google.»

Read more: New York Times, Ars Technica.

Gemini introduces chat and memory imports from competing chatbots

It now seems easier to switch to Gemini, but finding the files to do it can sometimes be difficult. (Picture: Google)

Switching from a chatbot with lots of history to a fresh one can be a pain, which is why Google is now launching new switching tools, that lets you import from other chatbots, with hopes of snagging some extra users from others.

The first step is to simply prompt the bot you are switching from to output your preferences, or its memories, and it will provide them in a prompt reply. This can then be pasted into Gemini.

The second feature will import your entire chat history — up to 5GB of it. Doing this is a little more complicated and involves a trip to the settings panel, but it should result in getting a zip file from your provider, which can be uploaded to Google.

From there on, Gemini promises to pick up right where you left off with the other chatbot, and you won’t have to train a whole new AI. Anthropic already does this.

Read more: Google’s presentation, step-by-step tweet, writeups on Engadget and The Verge.

Apple will open up Siri to different chatbots in iOS 27, coming in June

Previously, Siri would hand off more complex questions to ChatGPT when it couldn’t handle it itself — but that’s about to change, according to Bloomberg (paywalled).

Starting in June, if users have Gemini or Claude installed on their phones, Siri will be able to use those bots instead, by recording their preferred «Extension» in Settings.

That would end the ChatGPT monopoly that OpenAI has enjoyed since 2024, and opens up the chatbot ecosystem to other players, likely staving off regulators.

Opening up the platform is for the system level Siri queries native to iOS itself, and must not be confused with the standalone Siri app, which will use Gemini in a billion dollar deal.

Read more: Bloomberg (paywalled), Gizmodo, Reuters, and MacRumors.

Apple able to extract model responses from their custom Gemini solution

With Gemini running on Apple’s own servers, they have wide access and permission to customize it. (Picture: generated)

With Google’s bespoke Gemini model running on their internal servers, Apple will have full access to the AI, The Information (paywalled) writes.

That entails that they can run «distillation» on the model, meaning they can use it to provide answers and reasoning over a wide array of tasks and use that to train smaller, more capable Apple models, MacRumors says.

Distillation is a controversial technique, and many of the big AI labs have been accusing Chinese startups of doing it to make their own models more capable.

Apple can also tinker with Gemini, to make it give responses that Apple likes, MacRumors writes.

The Gemini model is optimized for chatbots and coding, and might not always produce the kinds of answers that Apple wants, they note.

Read more: The Information (paywalled), MacRumors.