Google has unveiled two new open-source artificial intelligence (AI) models called Gemma 2B and Gemma 7B, giving developers broader access to the research behind its powerful Gemini model.

While Gemini is Google’s ambitious closed AI system competing with OpenAI‘s ChatGPT, the smaller Gemma models are designed for more basic tasks like simple chatbots. Their modest size allows them to run efficiently on laptops and desktops.

Despite their compact architecture, Google claims Gemma models “surpass significantly larger models on key benchmarks.” This combination of efficiency and performance makes them an appealing option for developers with limited computing resources.

The open-source release contrasts sharply with the closed nature of Gemini. Although developers can build services on top of Gemini, the core model remains proprietary. By open-sourcing Gemma, Google enables direct experimentation rather than forcing developers to use competitors’ open models.

Google will provide both Gemma models free of charge under a commercial license, with no limits based on organization size, usage or project type. Responsible use guardrails will be included to prevent misuse.

While Gemma is currently optimized for English language tasks, Google hopes to collaborate with the AI community to expand its capabilities. Free access is being provided through services like Kaggle, Hugging Face and Google’s Vertex AI platform.

The move aligns with a trend toward smaller open models from AI leaders like Meta and Anthropic. With Gemma, Google aims to further democratize access to state-of-the-art natural language AI.