DeepMind’s AlphaGo AI software made a champion of the board game, Go, a loser in 2016. The techniques of AlphaGo can be borrowed to make a new AI system called Gemini to compete with ChatGPT from OpenAI.

Gemini is a large language model and is a work in progress. It is similar to ChatGPT, but its capabilities will be enhanced further — the ability to plan or the ability to solve problems. It would be a combination of the wonderful language capabilities of large models and the plus points of AlphaGo. At the same time, there are some new innovations.

AlphaGo is based on a technique developed by DeepMind called RL or reinforcement learning. The software learns from the actions taken in the games by repeated attempts and receiving feedback. It also uses free search to explore and remember possible moves on the board.

The language models will take a big leap by performing more tasks. Gemini will take some time before it is ready. It could be Google’s response to ChatGPT and other generative AI technology.

Language models are trained on massive data. The patterns are used to become proficient at predicting the letters and words (tokens) that follow a piece of text. The technology can be further enhanced by using reinforcement learning based on feedback from humans. It will give Gemini additional capabilities. So far language models learnt about the world only through the test. It is indirect learning. It is its major limitation. It can learn to manipulate tasks using neuroscience and robotics. Of course, the technology then could be abused, and will be difficult to control.