The BareStory
Alphabet's stock price increased this week following the debut of Google's new artificial intelligence model, Gemini 3, and a new image generation tool built upon it. The company's shares rose 5% on Wednesday after the AI model's announcement on Tuesday and gained another 4% on Thursday with the launch of the image generator, Nano Banana Pro.
Google stated that its Gemini 3 model can provide better answers to more complex user questions. The announcement drew positive initial reactions from some financial analysts. Analysts at D.A. Davidson called the model "the current state-of-the-art" based on preliminary testing. In a separate note, analysts at Bank of America Securities described it as a "positive step" for Google to close a "perceived LLM performance gap" with rivals, while also noting it was early to assess its full capabilities.
The new image tool, Nano Banana Pro, is an update to an earlier version. According to a Google vice president, the pro version adds capabilities such as creating infographics and slide decks while maintaining character consistency. Alongside the tool, Google introduced a feature for users to check if an image was created by its AI. Nano Banana Pro is available with limited free use in the Gemini app and other products, with watermarks on images from free accounts.
These developments place Google in ongoing competition with other major AI firms, including OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and Anthropic. According to a Google release, its Gemini app has over 650 million monthly active users. In October, OpenAI's CEO said ChatGPT had reached 800 million weekly active users. Currently, ChatGPT is the top free application on Apple’s App Store, followed by Gemini.
How it may affect me
As a U.S. reader:
• Users of Google’s free AI tools may see improved answers to complex questions and new features for creating infographics, though images will include watermarks.
• Investors in Alphabet, including those with retirement funds holding the stock, saw its value increase following the AI product announcements.
• The public may encounter more AI-generated content, but a new feature allows users to check if an image was made by Google's AI.
• Ongoing competition between Google and its rivals could affect the quality and availability of AI services, as Gemini currently trails ChatGPT in app store rankings.