GOOGLE RESTRICTS FREE GEMINI USERS TO FLASH-LITE MODEL FROM 9 OCTOBER

From 9 October, free users of Google's Gemini artificial intelligence tool will be limited to the Flash-Lite model, according to Google's support page. Free accounts currently let users choose between Flash-Lite, Flash and Pro, but Flash and Pro will no longer be available without payment. Subscribers to Google's AI Plus plan, which costs $4.99 a month, will also lose access to the Gemini Pro model. Google said it will email AI Plus subscribers to tell them when their access to Pro ends. One report identified the model being withdrawn from AI Plus as Gemini 3.1 Pro.

Google describes Pro as suited to complex mathematics and coding, with a deeper understanding of text, files, images and video than its other models. After the changes, Pro and an advanced reasoning option called Deep Think will be available only through Google AI Pro, priced at $19.99 a month, or Google AI Ultra, which Google says costs $99.99 a month, though one report put the Ultra price at a minimum of $100. Google is also adding "effort level" settings of low, medium and high for each model, letting users choose how thorough responses are. Selecting higher effort levels will use up a user's Gemini usage limit more quickly, Google said.

Google said AI Ultra subscribers will later get access to a new model, Gemini 4 Argon, once it is released to the public. Argon is currently limited to members of Google's Fairwind Program, which the company says is reserved for governments and trusted partners. The changes to free and AI Plus access take effect on 9 October. Google has not said whether it plans further changes to its subscription tiers.