Google’s Gemini Goes Multimodal: Free Live Conversations, AI Art, and a Pricey Ultra Tier

The AI assistant now sees, hears, and charges—but is it worth the upgrade?

Google’s Gemini just leveled up. Gemini Live, previously a paid feature, is now free on Android and iOS, letting users chat with the AI using their camera and screen sharing. Early data reveals these multimodal conversations average five times longer than text-only interactions—suggesting users prefer talking to, rather than typing at, their digital assistants. “It’s like having a tech-savvy friend who never gets tired of your questions,” says one beta tester.

“Gemini Live changes how we interact with AI. Voice and visuals bridge the uncanny valley.” — Google AI product lead

Creatives get a boost too. Imagen 4, Google’s latest image generator, is now baked into the Gemini app, while Veo 3—its video-and-audio counterpart—is exclusive to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. Meanwhile, Deep Research, Gemini’s fact-checking tool, can now merge public data with private PDFs and images. Future updates promise integration with Google Drive and Gmail, turning your files into AI fuel.

Interactive Everything

Gemini 2.5’s models power interactive infographics, quizzes, and even code generation in Canvas, Google’s collaborative workspace. With support for 45 languages, it’s a global playground for data nerds. Chrome users in the U.S. will soon see Gemini pop up as a sidebar assistant, offering webpage summaries and clarifications—if they’re subscribed to Google AI Pro or Ultra.

Education gets a spotlight too: interactive quizzes are live worldwide, and college students in the U.S., Brazil, Indonesia, Japan, and the UK score free Gemini upgrades. But the bigger news is Google’s new subscription tiers. Google AI Pro runs $19.99/month, while Ultra—aimed at power users—costs $249.99 monthly (with a 50% intro discount). Ultra unlocks early access to Agent Mode, Veo 3, and other experimental features. The question isn’t just what Gemini can do, but how much you’ll pay to find out.