Google's latest open AI model can run on your smartphone
What's the story
Google has unveiled a smaller version of its Gemma open AI model, called the 'Gemma 3 270 million.' The new model is designed to run on local devices and can be easily tuned while still delivering strong performance. The move comes as part of Google's ongoing efforts to make generative AI more accessible and efficient across different platforms.
Model specifications
The AI model can even run within a web browser
The Gemma 3 270 million model is a more compact version of Google's earlier models, which had between one billion and 27 billion parameters. Parameters are the learned variables that determine how an AI model processes inputs to predict output tokens. Generally, more parameters mean better performance. However, the new Gemma 3 model can run on smartphones or even within a web browser with its relatively smaller parameter count of just 270 millionlion.
Local execution advantages
Most efficient Gemma model so far
Running an AI model locally has several benefits, including improved privacy and reduced latency. The Gemma 3 270 million was specifically designed for these use cases. In tests with a Pixel 9 Pro, the new model managed to run 25 conversations on the Tensor G4 chip while consuming just 0.75% of the device's battery life - making it the most efficient Gemma model so far.
Model performance
New model scored well in benchmark tests
While developers shouldn't expect the same level of performance as a multi-billion-parameter model, the Gemma 3 270 million has proven its worth. In the IFEval benchmark test, which measures a model's instruction-following ability, it scored a solid 51.2%. This is better than other lightweight models with more parameters. Google envisions using this new model for tasks such as text classification and data analysis due to its speed and low computing requirements.
Model availability
Terms of use for the new model
Google calls its Gemma models "open," but that doesn't mean they're open-source. You can download the new model for free and access the weights, but you have to follow certain terms of use. These include not tuning the models to generate harmful content or violate privacy regulations intentionally. Developers are also required to provide attribution and a copy of these terms for all derivative versions under Google's custom license.