// ZDNET — INTELLIGENZA ARTIFICIALE
Use Gemini for free? You’ll soon be limited to its weakest AI model
Google is cutting off free users from the Flash and Pro models. AI Plus subscribers are losing out too
Those of you who use Google’s Gemini app or website for free will soon be able to use only one AI model for your queries and conversations. And it’s the weakest of the bunch.
In a new support document, Google revealed that free users will lose access to the Flash and Pro models starting Friday, Oct. 9. Anyone without a paid Google AI plan will be stuck with only the lowest-tier and least robust Flash-Lite model.
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And there’s more bad news. People who subscribe to the cheapest Google AI paid plan, namely the $5-per-month AI Plus option, will lose access to the Pro model on the same date, leaving them with only the Flash and Flash-Lite variants.
The one bright spot here is reserved for users of the $20-per-month AI Pro plan. If you subscribe to this one, you’ll gain access to the Deep Think reasoning mode, which is currently reserved only for AI Ultra users who shell out $100 or $200 a month for the privilege.
In a nutshell, a free user who needs Flash would have to pay for an AI Plus subscription. An AI Plus user who needs the Pro model will have to jump to a Pro plan.
Why is all of this important, and how does it affect your use of Google AI in the real world? The answer depends not only on how frequently you use the Gemini app and website but for what purposes.
You can use Gemini via four, or actually five, different plans or methods, each with greater access and more features. First up, you’re able to use it for free without any type of paid subscription. Next, the AI Plus plan is a budget-friendly paid option. The AI Pro subscription is a beefier plan for people with more demanding requirements. And the two AI Ultra plans are the cream of the crop.
Each plan currently offers three models to choose from: 3.8 Flash, 3.5 Flash-Lite, and 3.1 Pro.