ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Google is limiting the AI models that free users can access.
- Only the Flash-Lite model will be accessible to free users.
- AI Plus subscribers will also lose the Pro model.
Those of you who use Google’s Gemini app or website for free will soon be able to use only one AI model for your queries and conversations. And it’s the weakest of the bunch.
In a new support document, Google revealed that free users will lose access to the Flash and Pro models starting Friday, Oct. 9. Anyone without a paid Google AI plan will be stuck with only the lowest-tier and least robust Flash-Lite model.
Also: How I made a paid Mac app in 11 days with Claude – without writing any code
And there’s more bad news. People who subscribe to the cheapest Google AI paid plan, namely the $5-per-month AI Plus option, will lose access to the Pro model on the same date, leaving them with only the Flash and Flash-Lite variants.
The one bright spot here is reserved for users of the $20-per-month AI Pro plan. If you subscribe to this one, you’ll gain access to the Deep Think reasoning mode, which is currently reserved only for AI Ultra users who shell out $100 or $200 a month for the privilege.
In a nutshell, a free user who needs Flash would have to pay for an AI Plus subscription. An AI Plus user who needs the Pro model will have to jump to a Pro plan.
How these changes affect your AI use
Why is all of this important, and how does it affect your use of Google AI in the real world? The answer depends not only on how frequently you use the Gemini app and website but for what purposes.
You can use Gemini via four, or actually five, different plans or methods, each with greater access and more features. First up, you’re able to use it for free without any type of paid subscription. Next, the AI Plus plan is a budget-friendly paid option. The AI Pro subscription is a beefier plan for people with more demanding requirements. And the two AI Ultra plans are the cream of the crop.
Each plan currently offers three models to choose from: 3.8 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite, and 3.1 Pro.
Also: Is AI conscious? Why experts are worried
Flash is designed as a generalist, capable of handling most common AI tasks, such as providing information, summarizing files, generating and analyzing images, and chatting.
Flash-Lite is a faster but slightly less capable version, able to handle repetitive tasks but not adept at deeper knowledge and reasoning.
Pro is the most analytical of the three, solving more difficult and challenging problems, especially those focused on such areas as math, logic, and coding.
With the least expensive paid plans, Flash is typically the default and go-to model. When I use Gemini with my AI Pro account, Flash is the model that’s automatically chosen. For me, that’s perfectly fine for 90% of the tasks I run.
Free users typically see Flash-Lite as the default since their access to the other two models is limited. The Lite flavor should suffice for most general tasks but not for any type of deep reasoning or complex problem solving, potentially putting many free users in a bind.
To make things just a bit more complicated, Google says each model will now allow you to choose an error level among low, medium, and high. The higher the level, the greater the model’s ability to complete tasks and provide more thorough responses to your questions. However, higher levels will also chew up more of your limits.
Speaking of limits, Google does restrict how — and how much — you can use Gemini. But instead of doling out access based on a specific number of requests or conversations, the company uses a compute-based limit that will now refresh every five hours until you reach your weekly quota. This means that your limits are based on the complexity of your prompt, the features you use, and the length of your chat.
Also: How to keep your chatbot conversations as private as possible
Paid users naturally have higher limits than those without a subscription. Plus, premium models and tasks eat into your limits more and may cause you to hit your quota faster. Asking Gemini to generate an image or video, use Deep Research or Deep Think, and tap into the Pro model will use up your limits more quickly than everyday chats and requests.
If you’re confused and frustrated by all these changes and conditions, you’re not alone. The more we demand of AI, the more that companies like Google curb or control our access, thus adding more complexity to the whole process.
The main bright spot here is that Google AI subscriptions are doled out on a monthly basis. So you can stick with free access or one of the paid plans and switch month-by-month if you find yourself too limited by your current level.
