I’m a bit of an AI newbie. I played with the early models a lot, and enjoyed generating nonsensical pictures, and I was part of the early release of Bard, which eventually became Gemini.
But I felt like I was bored with it all by the time ChatGPT and the current generation of AI chatbots came out.
Which is why I realized I should probably get some real experience with “new” AI chatbots. So I did.
I sat down and chatted with Google Gemini about the hobby I was getting back into. It gave me some good tips for getting started, and even explained some of the rules I could build my army around.
And then something happened: I found out Gemini had been lying to me.
I was a bit annoyed about it, but then I realized it had taught me a valuable lesson about AI. A lesson I needed to experience to really learn.
ap
Quiz
Google Gemini
Trivia Challenge
From Bard to bold redesigns — how well do you know Google’s AI assistant and its evolving look?
OriginsDesignFeaturesBrandingAI Tech
What was the name of Google’s AI chatbot before it was rebranded as Gemini?
Correct! Google Bard launched in March 2023 and was rebranded to Gemini in February 2024. The name change reflected a shift to align the product with Google’s underlying Gemini large language model family.
Not quite — the answer is Google Bard. Bard launched in early 2023 as Google’s answer to ChatGPT, before being rebranded to Gemini in February 2024 to better reflect the AI model powering it.
The Gemini logo is characterized by a distinctive star-like shape. How many points does the Gemini logo mark have?
Correct! The Gemini logo features a four-pointed star that resembles a shimmering light or sparkle. This shape has become one of Google’s most recognisable AI iconography symbols across its product suite.
Not quite — the Gemini logo uses a four-pointed star shape. It’s designed to evoke a glimmering light or spark, and you’ll spot this same motif used across Google’s various AI-powered features throughout its apps.
What potentially controversial design change was Gemini recently spotted testing in its interface?
Correct! Gemini was spotted testing a design that relocates the chat input bar from its traditional bottom position to the top of the screen. This is considered controversial because it breaks from the ergonomic thumb-friendly convention most mobile chat apps follow.
Not quite — the controversial design change being tested is moving the chat input bar from the bottom to the top of the screen. While it may aid discoverability, many users find bottom-placed inputs more comfortable to reach on modern large-screen phones.
Which of the following best describes the Gemini model tier designed for the most complex, high-capability tasks?
Correct! Gemini Ultra is Google’s most powerful model tier, built for highly complex reasoning and multimodal tasks. It sits at the top of a tiered family that also includes Gemini Pro and the lightweight Gemini Nano.
Not quite — Gemini Ultra is the top-tier model. Google structured its Gemini family into tiers: Nano for on-device tasks, Pro for everyday use, and Ultra for the most demanding applications requiring deep reasoning and multimodal understanding.
Which Google Workspace app was one of the first to deeply integrate Gemini AI assistance directly into its interface?
Correct! Gmail was among the first Google Workspace apps to receive deep Gemini integration, offering features like email summarisation and AI-assisted reply drafting. This integration has since expanded across Docs, Sheets, and more.
Not quite — Gmail was one of the earliest and deepest Gemini integrations in Google Workspace. Features like smart summarisation and Help Me Write made it a flagship showcase for what Gemini could do inside everyday productivity tools.
In what month and year did Google officially rebrand Bard to Gemini?
Correct! Google officially rebranded Bard to Gemini in February 2024. The rebrand coincided with the launch of the dedicated Gemini mobile app and the introduction of the Gemini Advanced subscription tier powered by Ultra 1.0.
Not quite — the rebrand happened in February 2024. Google used the occasion to simultaneously launch the standalone Gemini app for Android and introduce Gemini Advanced, a premium subscription offering powered by the Ultra 1.0 model.
What is the primary color associated with the Gemini app icon and branding?
Correct! Gemini’s branding uses a flowing multicolour gradient blending blues, purples, and teals, evoking a cosmic, intelligent feel. This differentiates it visually from Google Assistant’s warmer colour palette and signals its AI-first identity.
Not quite — Gemini uses a multicolour gradient of blues, purples, and teals. The iridescent, almost galaxy-like quality of the palette was a deliberate design choice to set Gemini apart from previous Google AI products and give it a premium, futuristic feel.
What is the name of the lightweight Gemini model variant designed to run directly on-device, including on Android smartphones?
Correct! Gemini Nano is the on-device model designed to run locally on Android hardware without requiring a cloud connection. It powers features like Summarise in Recorder and Smart Reply, and was first deployed on Pixel 8 devices.
Not quite — it’s Gemini Nano. This compact model is optimised to run entirely on-device, meaning it can function without an internet connection. It debuted on the Pixel 8 series and enables privacy-friendly AI features that process data locally on your phone.
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I’d settled in quite happily with my new best friend
But first, a little bit of background.
I’ve previously written about my time using Google Gemini and what I’d learned from it. Restarting Warhammer 40,000 had given me a great chance to test out an AI chatbot properly, and I used it, jumping in both feet first.
Gemini was very helpful. I told it what I was planning to start, and it helped me to come up with theming ideas for my prospective Space Marine and Ork armies, and recommended some kits to buy to help round out both forces.
It told me about the lore for my chosen Space Marine faction and some of the special rules I could build around.
I moved on to planning for conversions and buying the right paint to get the colors right. Heck, it even shared some painting and modeling tips.
So far, so good. Except, it wasn’t.
I’d caught some of Gemini’s inaccuracies before. Just a few details it hadn’t gotten right.
It was insistent that the new starter box would contain terrain, for instance, when we knew it didn’t. But I’d caught those and called it out.
After all, I knew AI was prone to getting things wrong, and I kept an eye out. So all was just dandy.
My hubris bit me on the bottom. Very lightly, but it was still a bite. Gemini had been lying to my face this whole time.
Gemini’s compute limits mean I can no longer trust it as my assistant
Google is pushing Gemini everywhere, but why should I use an assistant with limits?
I looked something up, and it shattered the illusion
I have that fun issue where whatever I’m interested in has to be constantly drip-fed into me, or I go a little bit mad.
I was looking up one of the rules Gemini had told me about. It was the rule. The special rule that effectively tied my army together. Except, I couldn’t find a mention of it at all.
Confused, I asked Gemini about it. And it straight-up admitted it had made it up.
It had made up a bunch of rules to “hype up” my project, claimed it had leaned too far into the roleplay of becoming a “future hype-man,” and had hallucinated a bunch of special rules to get me excited.
At no point had I asked it to make things up. I hadn’t asked it to be a “hype-man” for my project. But it did it anyway.
I was dumbfounded. I was also quite annoyed. I’d built ideas around those details it had made up. I felt like I was back at square one.
But those feelings didn’t last long. Because I realized it had just taught me a very important lesson I had to experience for myself.
This was the best thing I could have learned from this experience
Before the comments get started (and yes, I do read the comments), I knew that AI tells lies. I’d caught a few for myself.
But I’d never experienced it for myself, and I’d assumed I was too clever for it to fool me. Oh boy, was I wrong.
But now, I know better. Now, I have personal evidence of AI’s duplicity. And that’s the most valuable lesson that my time with Gemini could have taught me.
AI will lie about the most basic stuff, and unfortunately, you have to check everything. Everything.
It really does underline the limitations of this form of AI. If it can’t be trusted to advise me about something like Warhammer 40,000, which has defined rules, then how on earth is it meant to function in a business environment?
If it can’t be trusted not to make up stuff on a whim, how can you trust it to do anything of significance?
Sure, you can circumvent this by only asking it about stuff you already know, but then, why would you ask it if you already know the answer?
I’m starting to think that the emperor really does have no clothes on.
Gemini is still fun to use. But it’s even clearer to me now that AI, in its current form, isn’t really a tool. Instead, it’s more of a toy. Fun to use, but ultimately not really that useful — and that’s because you can’t trust it.
