Google is about to completely rename Bard to Gemini

In a somewhat surprising move, it appears that Google is dropping the “Bard” branding entirely on its upcoming web app and mobile experience, in favor of “Gemini” entirely.

During its Pixel 8 event in October, Google revealed plans to combine Assistant’s existing helpful capabilities with the company’s powerful and ever-improving AI chatbot, Bard . While initially named simply “Assistant with Bard,” Google has a number of alternative names in mind for its next-generation mobile AI.

First, in mid-January, Google shortened everything to “Bard,” noting that certain tasks would be assigned to “Assistant.” The change helped clear up some confusion about Google Assistant (classic) versus Assistant with Bard. Then, earlier this week, the entire Bard phone experience was renamed “Gemini.”

Now, as Dylan Roussel shared on Twitter/X, Google is set to completely rename Bard, as new evidence in the web app shows that “Bard is now Gemini” on mobile and web.

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All the collaboration you know and love is still here and will only get better in the Gemini era.

Accordingly, 9to5google's APK Insights team discovered that the latest update to the dedicated “Assistant Google” shortcut app also calls Bard “Gemini.”

Gemini

In a way, the name change serves as a consolidation of Google’s AI branding. First introduced at I/O 2023, “Gemini” originally referred to the company’s latest line of AI models, from the device-ready “Gemini Nano” to the top-of-the-line “Gemini Ultra.”

Bard as we know it today is powered by the middle option, the “Gemini Pro,” while the chatbot’s much-anticipated Bard Advanced upgrade — now rebranded as the “Gemini Advanced” — will run on the Gemini Ultra model. Behind the scenes, the Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24 series’ AI features both use a combination of the Gemini Nano and Pro, depending on the task at hand.

Rather than maintain separate naming for its models and the products they create, it seems Google intends to group them all under the Gemini name. It's an atypical move for Google, as the company has a long history of naming its software products according to their functionality, like Docs, Sheets, Slides, Assistant, etc.

Even the name “Bard” illustrates its purpose as a multi-talented writer of words. By comparison, “Gemini” has no direct meaning outside of astrology. It remains to be seen what Google plans to do with this unique brand in what it calls the “Gemini era.”

Of course, given the number of changes over the past few weeks, it's entirely possible that Google could rename its AI chatbot again before making a final decision.