Google is bringing its experimental “reasoning” artificial intelligence model capable of explaining how it answers complex questions to the Gemini app. The Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking update is part of a slew of Gemini 2.0 AI rollouts announced by Google today, including its latest Gemini 2.0 Pro flagship model.
This comes as the search giant is expecting to invest $75 billion on expenditures like growing its monotonously named family of AI models this year. That’s a considerable jump from the $32.3 billion on capital expenditures it spent in 2023, with Google now racing to keep up with AI competitors like OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta, and the Amazon-backed Anthropic.
Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking will be available in the model dropdown options on the desktop and mobile app starting today, alongside another version of the model that can “interact with apps like YouTube, Search, and Google Maps,” according to Google. It was introduced in December 2024 and is expected to compete with other so-called reasoning AI models like OpenAI’s o1 and DeepSeek’s R1.
These models work by breaking problems down into smaller, manageable steps, allowing them to “think” about prompts before offering a solution. The intended outcome is to achieve stronger and more accurate results, but this is often at the expense of taking longer to achieve them.
Google is also releasing an experimental version of Gemini 2.0 Pro. According to leaks of the preview reported by TechCrunch, the successor to Gemini 1.5 Pro should provide “better factuality” and “stronger performance” for coding and mathematics-related tasks. Gemini 2.0 Pro is described as Google’s “most capable model yet,” and will be available to Advanced Gemini app users and people with access to Vertex AI and AI Studio.
Gemini 2.0 Flash — the latest version of Google’s high-efficiency workhorse AI model — is also now generally available to developers in AI Studio and Vertex AI following its rollout to Gemini’s web and mobile apps last week.
Lastly, Google is rounding off these updates with the introduction of a new low-cost model called 2.0 Flash-Lite, which the company says matches 1.5 Flash for speed and price while outperforming it “on the majority of benchmarks.” Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite is launching in public preview today on Google’s AI Studio and Vertex AI.
Google's AI Ethics Evolution: A Shift in Defense and Surveillance Policies
Google has made a significant change to its artificial intelligence ethical guidelines, marking a departure from its previous stance on defense and surveillance technologies. This shift reflects broader changes in how technology companies are engaging with defense contracts amid evolving geopolitical dynamics.
The Historical Context
In 2018, Google established clear boundaries around AI applications following significant internal dissent. The catalyst was Project Maven, a Department of Defense collaboration that sparked protests from over 4,000 Google employees who signed a petition opposing the company's involvement in "warfare technology." In response, Google published guidelines explicitly prohibiting the use of its AI technology for weapons development and certain surveillance applications that could violate international norms.
The Current Changes
Google has now removed these specific prohibitions from its AI principles. The company's new position, articulated by senior executives James Manyika (SVP for Technology and Society) and Demis Hassabis (Google DeepMind CEO), emphasizes collaboration between democratic nations and technology companies in the realm of national security. They specifically argue that "democracies should lead in AI development" while being guided by core values including freedom, equality, and human rights.
The Broader Industry Context
This policy shift at Google reflects a larger transformation in Silicon Valley's relationship with defense contracts. Several factors have influenced this evolution:
1. Intensifying geopolitical competition, particularly between the United States and China
2. The ongoing Russian-Ukraine war
3. The changing political landscape in the United States
The defense technology sector appears to be anticipating favorable conditions under the anticipated political environment. This is evidenced by recent developments in the industry, including discussions between major players like Palantir, Anduril, SpaceX, ScaleAI, and OpenAI about forming consortiums for government defense contracts.
The Industry Perspective
Anduril cofounder Palmer Luckey's comments to Bloomberg TV reflect the industry's optimistic outlook, particularly regarding potential changes in defense procurement processes and efficiency. The formation of potential bidding groups among major tech companies suggests a strategic realignment in how Silicon Valley engages with defense contracts.
This shift represents a significant evolution in the technology industry's approach to defense collaboration, moving away from the previous reluctance to engage with military contracts toward a more integrated relationship between tech companies and defense initiatives.