In a significant leap forward in artificial intelligence, Google has unveiled its latest model, Gemini 2.5, which is now available for developers to experiment with. Announced on March 25, 2025, this new iteration is designed to enhance accuracy and performance, particularly in coding, science, and math tasks. Google describes Gemini 2.5 as a "thinking model" that can reason through thoughts before responding, ultimately improving its responses in various applications.
According to data compiled by the AI benchmarking platform LMArena, Gemini 2.5 has topped charts in reasoning, knowledge, science, and mathematics, further solidifying its status as Google's "most intelligent AI model" yet. In real-time competitions, it ranked second in LMArena's WebDev leaderboard, achieving an arena score of 1267.70. This score surpassed competitors such as DeepSeek, Grok, and ChatGPT, although it fell short of the top spot, which was secured by Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet, scoring 1354.01.
As the AI tools market continues to evolve, OpenAI’s ChatGPT remains a dominant player, having recorded over 40 billion visits in 2024, capturing nearly 40% of the total market share of 101 billion visits. Canva's AI generator followed in second place with 10.4 billion visits, representing a market share of 10.25%. The competition is heating up, however, with DeepSeek's AI tools climbing to third place in February 2025, boasting a 6.58% market share and an impressive growth rate of 195%, along with 792 million monthly visits.
In addition to its new AI model, Google has introduced an innovative AI Mode that redefines how users interact with search results. This mode synthesizes information from the first page of search results into a conversational answer, offering a more streamlined experience compared to traditional search methods. It operates similarly to Perplexity's AI search engine, providing users with quick, cohesive answers to their queries.
For instance, when users inquire about local events, AI Mode quickly compiles a list of activities, complete with descriptions and links to the original sources, making it easier than ever to find relevant information without sifting through multiple websites. This efficiency is particularly beneficial for users seeking to plan their weekends or find meal ideas based on available ingredients.
In a recent test, AI Mode was asked to suggest dinner options based on a few ingredients: eggs, spinach, and feta cheese. The AI returned a list of meal ideas along with brief descriptions and cooking tips, demonstrating its ability to provide practical culinary advice. Additionally, when prompted for book recommendations, AI Mode suggested titles such as Terry Pratchett's Discworld and Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, complete with summaries and links to further information.
While the convenience of AI Mode is undeniable, it raises concerns about the potential impact on content creators and publishers. Critics argue that if AI Mode becomes the default search method, it could discourage users from clicking through to original sources, which may ultimately stifle content creation and diversity on the internet.
As Google pushes forward with these advancements, the landscape of AI tools and search engines is set to undergo significant changes. The introduction of Gemini 2.5 and AI Mode reflects a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are racing to improve AI capabilities and user experiences.
In summary, Google's Gemini 2.5 and AI Mode represent a bold step into the future of artificial intelligence and online search. By enhancing the way users interact with information and improving the accuracy of AI responses, Google aims to maintain its competitive edge in an increasingly crowded marketplace. However, as the technology evolves, it will be essential to balance innovation with the need to support the original content creators who are vital to the richness of the internet.
