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Our AI articles are dedicated to everything surrounding artificial intelligence and the impact it can have on various industries. We'll keep you up to date on what's currently going on in terms of developments.

How can you apply AI for your business so that it makes your operations easier and more productive? Learn all about the latest AI technologies, such as the multimodal Gemini model, ChatGPT and other AI tools that can be deployed.

We hope our articles will inspire you and give you strategic insights so you can start using AI, in a world where it is becoming increasingly important.

Developments in AI are moving at lightning speed, but every once in a while a model comes along that is so compelling that you look up for a moment. Gemini 2.5 Pro, Google's latest AI model, is one of those. Not only does it score exceptionally well on benchmarks such as the LMArena, but it especially sets the tone in what we should expect from AI in terms of reasoning, coding and complex problem solving.

What makes Gemini 2.5 Pro so special?

With Gemini 2.5 Pro, Google has built a model that excels in the areas where other AI models often fall short: logical reasoning, structured building and understanding truly complex tasks. Consider building a working video game from a single prompt, something that until recently required an entire development team.

But it doesn't stop there. Gemini 2.5 Pro is exceptionally strong in math and science, which makes it usable for content production that goes beyond superficial insights. The model is also designed for agent-like applications, meaning it can independently pick up and complete complex workflows. Furthermore, Gemini 2.5 Pro is fully multimodal and understands not only text, but also code, images, audio as well as video. Finally, it works with a context window of 1 million tokens, with 2 million on the horizon. That means that long documents, multiple data sources and extensive instructions can be processed and understood all at once.

Highest score in LMArena benchmark

The LMArena benchmark is currently one of the most reliable measures of AI performance on human evaluations. Unlike purely technical tests, this benchmark evaluates models on how well they perform in realistic scenarios such as answering open-ended questions or structuring complex information.

Gemini 2.5 Pro ranks #1, leaving behind such familiar names as GPT-4 and Claude. The model scores high on math, science and agent-like applications.

Where can you use Gemini 2.5 Pro?

Currently, Gemini 2.5 Pro is available in Google AI Studio and for Gemini Advanced users. Soon the model will also be available on Vertex AI. Its high ranking in the LMArena makes this tool ideal for content marketers and strategists looking to integrate AI into their marketing technology.

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Every Friday, we bring you the latest insights, news and real-world examples on the impact of AI in the marketing world. Whether you want to improve your marketing efficiency, increase customer engagement, sharpen your marketing strategy or digitally transform your business. 'Marketing AI Friday' is your weekly guide.

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Marketing AI Friday

The rise of AI videos is in full swing. Tools like HeyGen make it possible to produce professional-looking videos in minutes with avatars that speak, move and react. The appeal of this? Scalability, speed and consistency-it can all be done without a camera.

For marketers looking for efficient ways to personalize, enrich or automate content, these updates make HeyGen not only more versatile, but stronger. The latest additions build on what already makes the tool strong and give you that extra bit of space to work creatively and efficiently.

PDF to Video: from document to video in one motion

With the new PDF to Video feature, you no longer have to write a script or manually build scenes. You simply drag a PDF into HeyGen, choose your avatar and target, and the tool automatically turns it into a video.

For marketers, this means less time spent on production and more space to focus on storytelling and distribution. Especially useful for sales presentations, internal updates or content that needs to be reused more often. The feature is still available in beta for now.

Custom Voices for Photo Avatars: your voice, your story

Personal branding gets an AI upgrade. With the Custom Voices feature, you can have your own avatar speak in a natural voice that suits you. You can choose Voice Clone, which copies your voice one-to-one. You can also choose Smart Voice Match, which generates an AI voice that matches your tone and manner of speaking. Do you prefer full control? Then you can use text prompts to shape the AI videos to your liking.

HeyGen Mobile 1.6: all avatars always at hand

With version 1.6 of the HeyGen iOS app, all public avatars are now available on mobile. That means you can now create professional content on the go or from your phone. Whether you want to voice a brief update, address a client in person or produce content for social media, the full avatar library is now at your disposal. The mobile flexibility makes it easier to react quickly to trends or current events without losing quality.

Interactive Avatars: AI that talks back

Perhaps the most impressive update is the introduction of Interactive Avatars. These avatars can respond live, for example in a chatbot, on a website or within your product environment.

For marketers, this opens the door to a completely new form of interaction: AI avatars that not only convey, but actually have conversations with your visitors. Imagine a personalized video bot that greets your visitors, answers questions and even provides leads without human intervention.

This feature is currently available to Creator and Team users and promises much for those who want to bet on personalized customer experiences, for example.

What does this mean for your marketing?

The developments within HeyGen show how quickly AI is moving toward usable, scalable and creative solutions for marketing teams. Where video production used to be complex and time-consuming, HeyGen now comes with easy tools that allow you to move faster, without sacrificing quality or personalization. The new features not only make video more accessible, but more importantly, strategically smarter.

Take a leap forward in your marketing AI transformation every week

Every Friday, we bring you the latest insights, news and real-world examples on the impact of AI in the marketing world. Whether you want to improve your marketing efficiency, increase customer engagement, sharpen your marketing strategy or digitally transform your business. 'Marketing AI Friday' is your weekly guide.

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AI has become part and parcel of our daily work-often you barely notice it's there. Microsoft is building on that with two new AI agents within 365 Copilot: Researcher and Analyst. These tools are both convenient AI agents that are available 24/7, work with personal data and Web information, and take complex tasks off your hands.

Researcher: your personal partner

Finding information is easy. Finding the right information? That takes time. Microsoft understands that. That's why the company is coming out with Copilot Researcher: an AI agent fully equipped to do in-depth research and answer strategic questions. Think about putting together a go-to-market plan, conducting a market analysis or writing a quarterly report.

What makes this AI special is how it uses internal and external data sources. Researcher extracts insights from your emails, meeting notes, documents and from tools such as Salesforce or Confluence. The engine behind this agent is a combination of OpenAI's deep research model and Microsoft's own data processing within 365 Copilot. The result? An always-on assistant that not only finds information, but also understands what you need to arrive at smart decisions.

Analyst: data analysis in real time

Many marketers want to do more with data, but lack the time or skills to run difficult analytics. That's where Analyst comes in. This AI agent thinks like a data analyst and answers complicated questions step by step. Whether you want to filter trends from customer behavior, analyze revenue forecasts or look for connections between different spreadsheets: Analyst can do it all and extracts its insights from raw data using Python.

What makes Analyst unique is its transparency. You can see live what steps it is taking, make adjustments immediately and monitor what is happening. This way you stay in control, while fully using the power of AI. The technology behind Analyst is based on OpenAI's o3-mini reasoning model and specially optimized for business data analysis.

Building your own AI agents in Microsoft Copilot Studio

In addition to these two new off-the-shelf agents, Microsoft is also investing in customization. With Copilot Studio, you can now build your own AI agents without having deep technical knowledge about them. Think of a virtual colleague processing a request, arranging the appropriate internal approval and scheduling immediate follow-up, all fully automated.

The new features allow agents to take actions independently, such as sending emails or starting processes. Without human intervention, but with supervision. Thanks to the Copilot Control System, you remain in control of what the agent is allowed to do and what data is being worked with. This is how you combine automation with security and ownership.

What does this mean for marketers?

With these updates, Microsoft is once again positioning itself as a valuable option for marketing teams looking to become data-driven. The new AI agents in 365 Copilot take repetitive tasks off your hands, speed up strategic processes and help marketers make better decisions faster. Whether you're working on a report or analyzing customer data, the AI agents are constantly on hand. For marketers, this means more room for creativity, less time spent on manual work and a new way to use technology as an extension of your strategy.

Take a leap forward in your marketing AI transformation every week

Every Friday, we bring you the latest insights, news and real-world examples on the impact of AI in the marketing world. Whether you want to improve your marketing efficiency, increase customer engagement, sharpen your marketing strategy or digitally transform your business. 'Marketing AI Friday' is your weekly guide.

Sign up for Marketing AI Friday for free.

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For a long time, OpenAI with DALL-E seemed to have lost the AI battle to competitors such as Midjourney, Gemini's Imagen 3 and even the recently improved Grok Image Generator. But last week, ChatGPT made a comeback no one saw coming. The new 4o Image Generator within ChatGPT shows that OpenAI is still a leader when it comes to generative AI - even in the image field.

With this update, you can now create realistic and very high quality images directly in one chat environment. Think product visuals, characters, infographics and even text-in-image - all without external tools or design skills. What makes it extra powerful: everything stays within the same conversation, allowing you to quickly adjust or fine-tune the image.

Images that are surprisingly accurate

One of the most notable improvements is the ability to upload your own photos and create nearly identical AI versions of them. Whether you want to show a person in different environments, convert an existing image to a different style, or subtly tweak parts, ChatGPT handles it surprisingly well. Here and there you'll still see a detail that's not quite right, but the consistency is impressive.

Handling text in images has also been greatly improved. Whereas ChatGPT previously struggled considerably with readable text in visuals, this new generator manages to render most of it clearly, sharply and correctly. This makes it possible to deploy visuals that are directly suitable for campaigns, social posts or content modules.

One prompt, endless variations

From cartoon to realistic, voxel art to vintage comic, anything is possible. You can convert existing images to a different style, combine multiple images, or create new variations in which only specific elements change. Think of a product you want to show in ten different settings, or a brand character you need in multiple formats. For marketers and designers, this is a huge time saver, without sacrificing quality.

What is not quite perfect yet

Of course, there are still limits. Small details, such as subtitles of books or fine text on packaging, are not always included correctly. Even personal photos are sometimes not reproduced exactly. Still, the result is often so good that it serves as an excellent basis for further editing in tools such as Photoshop or Canva.

Another point of discussion is the legal side. There are plenty of examples circulating on X and elsewhere of generated images in styles very similar to the work of well-known studios, such as Studio Ghibli. That raises logical questions about copyright and style use. Something to consider in commercial deployment.

For pro users only (for now)

For now, the new image functionality is available to users of ChatGPT's paid version. Free users will get access later, but with a limit of three images per day. That leaves it, for now, as a tool for those who are really serious about AI image creation.

What this step makes clear: ChatGPT is much more than a text tool. The integration of images, and soon audio and video via Sora, for example, opens the door to, say, a fully multimodal AI assistant. And with ChatGPT-5 coming in May, this is just the beginning.

Take a leap forward in your marketing AI transformation every week

Every Friday, we bring you the latest insights, news and real-world examples on the impact of AI in the marketing world. Whether you want to improve your marketing efficiency, increase customer engagement, sharpen your marketing strategy or digitally transform your business. 'Marketing AI Friday' is your weekly guide.

Sign up for Marketing AI Friday for free.

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Your working day hasn't started yet, but the first notification from Slack (Teams or another collaboration platform) already appears. No reminder or random meme this time, but a complete overview of your marketing performance. A report with numbers, insights ánd recommendations. Not sent by your data analysis colleague, but by Brian.

Brian is not a human, but your AI data analyst. And not just any one. He's trained, fueled by data, and an indispensable force on the marketing team. While you were still asleep, he analyzed the performance of your campaigns, discovered striking trends, and put it all into a clear report. Ready for you and your team to get started right away.

What is an AI agent anyway?

Let's start at the beginning. An AI agent is a system that independently performs tasks, makes decisions and interacts with users based on data and algorithms. Unlike traditional AI tools, an AI agent actively works with you. It does not wait for commands, but thinks ahead, makes adjustments, and responds to your questions as if it were a colleague.

Brian is one such AI agent. He is specifically designed to support marketers in analyzing data and optimizing campaigns. Not as a passive dashboard bot, but as an engaged digital teammate. You ask him questions in Slack and get immediate answers. Not a static report, but a dialogue. And the best part? He learns and grows with you.

Brian's new skills

Like any smart colleague, Brian has evolved. He now analyzes campaigns on Google ads and social media, provides proactive updates on notable trends, and supplements existing Marketing Dashboards with more comprehensive insights. He also not only shares clear reports, but also shows during a chat in Slack how his "thought process" is going. Thanks to his further development, you can now even look back at results from previous months, quarters or even years, and derive trends from them.

Imagine this: you want to know why the conversion rate on Instagram was so high last summer. You ask Brian, and he immediately comes up with an analysis as well as possible explanations. Without you having to open a separate dashboard or make any other effort.

AI agent as a team member: how does it work in practice?

Brian is fully integrated into workflows. He is part of Slack channels, responds to questions from colleagues, and automatically posts updates when something notable happens. He responds directly to questions from colleagues, and automatically shares updates when something notable happens. Does the CTR of a Facebook campaign suddenly drop? Then Brian lets you know. If he sees a noticeable increase in engagement on LinkedIn, he immediately dives into the analysis to find the cause. And if anyone is curious about last month's best-performing post, Brian has the answer ready.

What makes this unique is that multiple team members can talk to Brian at the same time. One person asks a question, another hooks in, and Brian continues to monitor the conversation. That creates a dynamic that goes beyond a traditional analytics dashboard.

Ready for the next step

AI agents like Brian are just at the beginning of their potential. But what is already clear: They are changing how we interact with data. They make analytics more accessible, faster and more actionable. And they give marketers more time for the things that really make an impact. You can also use Brian to improve your social media strategy. Read how AI can enhance your social media strategy here.

So the next time you open Slack and start your workday with a clear analysis and concrete recommendations, know that you are not working alone. Brian has already started working on it.

Take a leap forward in your marketing AI transformation every week

Every Friday, we bring you the latest insights, news and real-world examples on the impact of AI in the marketing world. Whether you want to improve your marketing efficiency, increase customer engagement, sharpen your marketing strategy or digitally transform your business. 'Marketing AI Friday' is your weekly guide.

Sign up for Marketing AI Friday for free.

Marketing AI Friday

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), or AI that performs almost all tasks as well or better than humans, is coming much faster than thought, according to insiders. Ben Buchanan, former AI advisor in the White House under Biden, recently told Ezra Klein in an interesting interview that AGI is likely to become a reality within 2-3 years.

His message is clear: hardly anyone is well prepared for this. Especially for knowledge professions, such as marketing, research and programming, this will mean a fundamental change because AI is already taking over tasks that until recently were done exclusively by humans.

From expectation to reality

Improvements in AI models continue to pick up speed. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently admitted to being truly surprised for the first time by the creative output of their latest language models. OpenAI's AI researcher Noam Brown described it as follows: "Seeing these creative writing outputs has been a real 'feel the AGI' moment for some folks at OpenAI."

Dario Amodei of Anthropic goes a step further. He predicts that within six months, 90% of all code will be written by AI. In a year's time? Almost everything. He calls the developments "Machines of Love and Grace" and emphasizes that powerful AI systems will soon change our lives dramatically.

What does this mean for marketers?

For marketers, a lot is going to change. AI models are taking over more and more creative, strategic and analytical tasks. Devising campaigns, optimizing content, analyzing target audiences, AGI will do it faster, more scalable and soon, perhaps, better.

But that does not mean that the human marketer becomes obsolete. On the contrary. The value is shifting from manual labor to vision, interpretation and direction. The marketer of the future is someone who understands AI, uses it intelligently and innovates with it.

You can do this right now

Even if the development of AI models stopped today, there are already huge gains for businesses. With today's tools, you can speed up your workflow, personalize campaigns and use marketing budgets more effectively. But then you have to get started.

These 6 steps will help you successfully implement AI in your organization:

  1. Start an AI Steering Committee: Provide internal leadership. Form a team that develops vision, builds support and integrates AI into marketing strategy.
  2. Establish clear AI guidelines: Make agreements about how AI will and will not be used. Consider ethics, transparency and ownership of generated content to prevent abuse and build trust.
  3. Invest in knowledge: Train your team. From copywriters to data specialists, everyone needs to know what AI means for their work.
  4. Conduct a marketing AI audit: Analyze which processes are candidates for automation or optimization. Prioritize by impact.
  5. Experiment with tools: Test different AI tools for content, data analytics and customer segmentation. Find out what works for your brand and market.
  6. Encourage an AI-first mindset: Put experimentation and innovation front and center. For example, organize special days when employees experiment with new AI applications.

AGI changes our lives, but you decide how

Artificial General Intelligence is on its way, faster than thought. But rather than wait and see, now is the time to get ahead. By delving now into what AGI means for your business, you can make marketing smarter, sharper and future-proof. Read how to do this step-by-step in this article.

Take a leap forward in your marketing AI transformation every week

Every Friday, we bring you the latest insights, news and real-world examples on the impact of AI in the marketing world. Whether you want to improve your marketing efficiency, increase customer engagement, sharpen your marketing strategy or digitally transform your business. 'Marketing AI Friday' is your weekly guide.

Sign up for Marketing AI Friday for free.

Marketing AI Friday

AI tools are evolving at lightning speed, and Gemini is keeping pace. With the arrival of two new features within AI assistant Gemini, Canvas and Audio Overview, Google is taking the next step in how we can use AI. For marketers looking to work smarter, there are immediate opportunities here.

What is Gemini?

Gemini is an AI tool developed by Google. Gemini is distinguished by its broad applicability and is similar to ChatGPT and Claude. What makes Gemini unique is its integration with other Google services such as Google Docs, YouTube and Calendar. This is ideal in the daily work of content professionals, developers and marketers.

Gemini Canvas: collaborating with AI in a visual workspace

The new Canvas feature is an interactive workspace in Gemini where you can work out AI tasks directly. On the left you have the familiar chat window, on the right an editable canvas. Here you can create real-time content, polish it and immediately export it to Google Docs, for example.

For marketers, this means less switching between tools and more control over your content creation process. Imagine: you ask Gemini for a first draft of a newsletter, tweak sentences in Canvas, have it rewritten in a different tone-of-voice, and send it out to, say, your team with one click. All within one screen.

The feature is reminiscent of ChatGPT's Canvas and Claude's Artifacts, but Gemini stands out with their integration with Google's ecosystem.

Why should you try Canvas?

The biggest gain? Time. By editing content live within the AI interface, you work faster and more efficiently. You immediately see what's happening, no need to copy and paste, and you maintain control over the end result.

For coming up with a strategy, Canvas also provides overview: you can brainstorm, test, rewrite and structure in one place. And because the AI model includes context, the output remains relevant whether you're developing a landing page or setting up an ad campaign.

Audio Overview: listening instead of reading

The second new addition, Audio Overview, is designed for users who prefer listening to reading. The tool summarizes long texts or AI elaborations in an audio conversation between AI hosts. So you don't get a monotone computer voice, but a realistic dialogue discussing main points.

Although this feature is still limited to the English language and not available in the Netherlands for now, it offers a glimpse of the future. Especially for when you're busy, this can be a godsend: a quick listen to a briefing or campaign proposal while on the go.

Audio Overview builds on Google's earlier experiments with NotebookLM, demonstrating AI's increasingly smart use of different preferences: reading, watching and listening.

What can you do with it already?

Both Canvas and Audio Overview are available to Gemini and Gemini Advanced users. In the Netherlands, you can get started with Canvas right away. Audio Overview is only available in English for now, but already gives a good idea of how Google is using AI to process information smarter.

Take a leap forward in your marketing AI transformation every week

Every Friday, we bring you the latest insights, news and real-world examples on the impact of AI in the marketing world. Whether you want to improve your marketing efficiency, increase customer engagement, sharpen your marketing strategy or digitally transform your business. 'Marketing AI Friday' is your weekly guide.

Sign up for Marketing AI Friday for free.

Marketing AI Friday

For marketers who work daily with an abundance of information, structure, speed and overview are important. NotebookLM, Google's AI note-taking app, responds to this perfectly. The latest updates make this smart tool even more powerful, personalized and reliable. What are NotebookLM's new features and what makes it so interesting for marketers?

NotebookLM thinks with you thanks to Gemini 2.0

The latest version of NotebookLM uses Gemini 2.0 Thinking, which provides smarter and contextually stronger answers. That means you now get even more targeted answers. For marketers, this means less searching, less guesswork and more time saved.

Say you've uploaded an annual report or market analysis: you ask a question and NotebookLM immediately comes up with relevant answers - including clear source references. It feels like you have a smart colleague sitting next to you who knows all the documents and knows exactly what you're looking for.

Source citations are retained in your notes

Another innovation in NotebookLM is the way citations are saved. When you save an AI response from a chat session as a note, the inline source citations are automatically retained. This way, you can always easily find exactly where important information came from later.

It makes your work more transparent and reliable. No more loose copy-paste chaos: everything stays organized and controllable within your own note-taking environment.

Choose your own sources and keep track of content

With the new personalization option, you control which sources NotebookLM can use. This is especially valuable for marketers working with brand guidelines, tone of voice documents or customer files. For example, you can select only internal documents to create certain content or scripts for a podcast, for example. This keeps the output always aligned with your style, content and target audience.

This new option makes NotebookLM not only smarter, but also strategically deployable within your content and marketing approach.

Better user experience for faster workflow

A seemingly small but not to be underestimated improvement: scrolling through your questions and answers is now smoother than before. Especially if you build up multiple insights and notes in one session, you notice how nice it is to scroll back quickly and keep everything organized. Combined with the uncluttered interface, this makes NotebookLM a pleasant tool to work with on a daily basis.

What does NotebookLM look like in practice?

Below is an example of a Notebook. In the Chat window, you can ask questions that will give you detailed answers, including clear source references to your uploaded documents. If you then click 'Save to Note' at the bottom, this chat including all source references will appear on the right-hand side under your notes. This keeps all information organized and easy to retrieve or check.

Why NotebookLM is a smart choice for marketers

Google's NotebookLM is growing from handy note-taking app to a valuable AI partner for marketing professionals. NotebookLM helps you work in a structured way, use relevant resources in a tailored way and keep clarity on where your information is coming from, so you can work more efficiently and diligently. Whether you are working on a new campaign, strategy document or content planning, NotebookLM helps you work faster, smarter and more consistently.

Still using traditional note-taking tools or AI chats with no overview? Then now is the time to try NotebookLM. Thanks to the latest updates, it is not just an AI note-taking app, but a valuable addition to your team.

Take a leap forward in your marketing AI transformation every week

Every Friday, we bring you the latest insights, news and real-world examples on the impact of AI in the marketing world. Whether you want to improve your marketing efficiency, increase customer engagement, sharpen your marketing strategy or digitally transform your business. 'Marketing AI Friday' is your weekly guide.

Sign up for Marketing AI Friday for free.

Marketing AI Friday

AI agents are the new trend in marketing. These advanced virtual colleagues go beyond traditional AI chatbots. They not only take over repetitive tasks, but can independently perform actions, make decisions and optimize marketing processes.

This presents enormous opportunities for marketers, but also raises important questions: how do you integrate AI colleagues into your team? What does this mean for the role of marketers?

Integration of AI Colleagues

At NXTLI, we work daily with AI colleagues like Brian, an AI-driven data analyst. He analyzes social media performance, generates insights and helps improve conversions. Instead of spending hours collecting data manually, Brian provides instant reports and advice, allowing marketers to focus on strategy and creativity.

Read the full article on Frankwatching

In a new article on Frankwatching, Michiel Schoonhoven, Managing Partner & Content Strategist at NXTLI, discusses six practical tips for effectively deploying AI agents. He discusses the different types of AI agents, such as personal AI assistants that manage inboxes, persona-based agents that develop entire campaigns and enterprise agents that automate customer interactions.

In addition, Michiel covers key concerns such as transparency, AI policies and the changing role of marketers in an AI-driven environment.

Want to know how to use AI colleagues smartly without losing the human factor? Then read the full article on Frankwatching.

Take a leap forward in your marketing AI transformation every week

Every Friday, get the latest insights, news and real-world examples on the impact of AI in the marketing world. Whether you want to improve your marketing efficiency, increase customer engagement, sharpen your marketing strategy or digitally transform your business. 'Marketing AI Friday' is your weekly guide.

Sign up for Marketing AI Friday for free.

Marketing AI Friday

Google has announced a series of powerful updates to Gemini. The latest enhancements bring smarter research functionality, personalized recommendations and visual AI capabilities to a wider audience. This means that users will not only be able to work faster and more efficiently, but also gain insights that better suit their personal needs.

Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking: more powerful and faster than ever

The new Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental version brings significant improvements. One of the most notable updates is the expansion of "memory" to 1 million tokens. This allows Gemini to process even more complex queries and analyze larger amounts of information at once. This makes the AI a powerful tool for academic research, data analysis and reporting.

In addition, this version introduces file uploads. Users can now import documents and datasets directly, generating analyses and insights faster. This makes it easier to summarize reports or discover trends in large data sets.

Deep Research: AI-driven research at a new level

Gemini's Deep Research functionality is now becoming available in more than 45 languages worldwide. This AI-driven research assistant helps users analyze and organize information. One of the key enhancements is the ability to see in real time how the AI searches, thinks and processes information. This means users can better understand how a conclusion is reached and whether additional sources are needed.

By combining Deep Research with the enhanced Flash Thinking functionality, users can generate even more detailed and accurate reports. This offers particular benefits to professionals preparing in-depth market research, scientific analysis or financial reports.

Users of the free version can use Deep Research a few times a month, while Gemini Advanced users get more frequent access to it.

Personalization: AI that learns your preferences

Another major innovation is the introduction of personalization. Gemini can now connect to your Google apps and services, such as Google Search, to provide answers that better match your interests and search history.

This means that Gemini:

  • Shows more relevant search results based on previous searches.
  • Provides personalized recommendations, such as restaurant suggestions or travel recommendations tailored to destinations you've previously looked up.
  • Better understand context, leading to smarter and more tailored responses.

You retain full control over this feature and can enable or disable personalization at any time.

AI-generated images and edits in chat

Gemini 2.0 Flash can now directly generate, edit and modify images within a chat conversation. This opens up new possibilities for content creators, designers and marketers.

With this functionality you can:

  • Have illustrations created based on a story or description.
  • Modify existing images by changing colors, shapes or details, for example.
  • Improve text in images, rendering them clearer and sharper than in previous AI models.

Developers can test this feature through Google AI Studio or the Gemini API.

Better integration with Google apps

Gemini is getting smarter about collaborating with other Google services. In addition to existing integrations with Google Calendar, Notes and Tasks, Google Photos will soon be fully integrated. This makes it possible to perform complex tasks faster and more efficiently.

Consider, for example:

  1. Looking up a YouTube recipe.
  2. Have ingredients automatically added to your shopping list in Google Tasks.
  3. Instantly find nearby supermarkets that stock the products you need.

These improvements make Gemini increasingly act as a personal AI assistant that seamlessly links different tasks in your workflow.

Gems: building your own AI assistants

One of the most innovative new features is Gems. It allows you to create custom AI assistants around specific topics, such as:

  • A translator who focuses on particular languages and subject areas.
  • A meal planner that makes suggestions based on dietary preferences.
  • A math coach who provides step-by-step explanations of complex formulas.

Gems is available through the Gems Manager on desktop and even lets users upload their own files to make the AI smarter. This concept is similar to ChatGPT's custom GPTs, but currently has less advanced features.

What does this mean for the future of AI?

With these updates, Google Gemini takes a big step forward in AI-driven productivity and personalization. Enhanced Deep Research functionality, advanced image processing, Google integrations and the introduction of Gems show how AI is becoming more deeply woven into our daily lives and work processes.

Wondering how these new features can improve your workflow? Try the free version of Gemini or explore Gemini Advanced capabilities for an even more powerful AI experience.

Take a leap forward in your marketing AI transformation every week

Every Friday, we bring you the latest insights, news and real-world examples on the impact of AI in the marketing world. Whether you want to improve your marketing efficiency, increase customer engagement, sharpen your marketing strategy or digitally transform your business. 'Marketing AI Friday' is your weekly guide.

Sign up for Marketing AI Friday for free.

Marketing AI Friday