Google Gemini / Vertex AI

Google Colab Enterprise adds Python 3.11 support

Google Colab Enterprise now supports Python 3.11 alongside existing Python 3.10 environments. Users can configure runtime templates to use the latest Python version automatically or specify a particular version. Existing runtimes and templates remain on Python 3.10 unless manually updated.

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Mistral OCR API now generally available on Vertex AI

Google has released Mistral OCR, an Optical Character Recognition API for document understanding, as generally available on Vertex AI. This new capability enables developers to extract text from documents using Mistral's OCR technology. No action required - this is a new feature addition to the platform.

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Anthropic Claude Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 now available on Vertex AI with Provision Throughput

Anthropic's latest Claude models are now in general availability on Google's Vertex AI platform. Both models support Provision Throughput for dedicated capacity allocation. Users can access these models through Model Garden with detailed specifications available in their respective model cards.

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Google Vertex AI releases Gemini 2.5 Flash, Veo 3, Imagen 4, and Lyria 3

Google has released several new AI capabilities including an updated Gemini 2.5 Flash model, new video generation model Veo 3 in preview, image generation model Imagen 4, and audio-to-audio support for Live API. Additionally, Lyria 2 music generation model is now generally available along with new text embedding models and experimental thought summaries feature.

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Vertex AI adds A3 Ultra, A4, and A3 Mega accelerator support

Google has expanded Vertex AI's accelerator support, adding A3 Ultra and A4 for custom training, and A3 Mega and A4 for online prediction workloads. This enhancement provides users with additional hardware options to optimize performance for their machine learning tasks. No action is required as this is purely an additive capability.

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Google deprecating MedLM model on Vertex AI — access ends September 29, 2025

Google has deprecated the MedLM model on Vertex AI with access terminating on September 29, 2025. Users currently relying on MedLM for medical AI applications need to migrate to alternative models before the deadline. This gives approximately 4 months for transition planning and implementation.

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Google releases Gemini 2.0 Flash with image generation on Vertex AI

Google has released Gemini 2.0 Flash with image generation capabilities as a public preview offering on Vertex AI. Additionally, the seed parameter has reached general availability and now supports the Gemini 2.5 model family. These are additive features that enhance existing functionality without requiring immediate action.

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Vertex AI Grounding Features Now Generally Available

Grounding capabilities using Vertex AI Search and Elasticsearch are now generally available for production use. This enhancement allows developers to ground generative AI responses with their own data sources for improved accuracy and relevance. No action required - this is a feature graduation from preview to GA status.

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Vertex AI Generative AI global endpoint now generally available

Google has made the global endpoint for Generative AI on Vertex AI generally available, moving it from preview to production status. This provides users with a stable, production-ready endpoint for accessing generative AI capabilities. No immediate action is required as this is an enhancement to existing service availability.

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Google adds Llama 4, HiDream-I1, and Qwen3 models to Vertex AI Model Garden

Google has added several new AI models to Vertex AI Model Garden including Llama 4 Maverick and Scout variants, HiDream-I1, Llama Guard 4, Llama Prompt Guard 2, and Qwen3. Enhanced deployment materials and SDK support are now available in Preview to simplify model deployment workflows. This expands model selection and improves developer experience for AI applications.

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Colab Enterprise restricts Gemini 1.5 model access for new projects

Google added new Gemini AI capabilities to Colab Enterprise including chat, code explanation, and error fixing features. However, Gemini 1.5 Pro and Flash models are now unavailable for projects with no prior usage history, including all new projects. Existing users with usage history can continue accessing these models while new users are blocked.

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Google Colab Enterprise Launches Notebook Gallery

Google has released a new notebook gallery feature for Colab Enterprise, providing users with a curated collection of ready-to-use templates and examples. The gallery includes categorized notebooks and search functionality to help users learn techniques, understand best practices, and start projects more quickly. This is an additive feature that enhances the existing Colab Enterprise platform without requiring any user action.

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Google releases Gemini 2.5 Flash with enhanced thinking capabilities in Preview

Google has released Gemini 2.5 Flash with thinking and other well-rounded capabilities in Preview on Vertex AI. This represents a new model release with enhanced reasoning capabilities. No immediate action required as this is a preview feature addition.

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Vertex AI Persistent Resources GA and Workbench M129 Release

Vertex AI persistent resources for custom training is now generally available with reboot support. Vertex AI Workbench instances receive M129 update including upgraded Dataproc JupyterLab plugin to version 0.1.85. These are feature enhancements with no breaking changes or required actions.

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Google releases Llama 4 Maverick and Scout models in preview on Vertex AI

Google has released managed APIs for Llama 4 Maverick and Scout models in preview on Vertex AI. This expands the available model options for developers using Vertex AI's generative AI platform. No immediate action is required as this is a new capability addition.

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Google Vertex AI releases Gemini 2.5 Pro and new features

Google has released several new capabilities across Vertex AI including Gemini 2.5 Pro in preview, enhanced Gemini Live API with multi-voice support and screen sharing, and the new Agent Development Kit. Additional features include Agent Garden, improved grounding capabilities with Google Maps, and rebranding of Agent Builder components. These are primarily new feature releases that expand platform capabilities without requiring immediate user action.

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Colab Enterprise adds default GPU runtime switching feature in preview

Google Colab Enterprise now allows users to switch to a default runtime with GPUs using a button in notebooks. This is a preview feature that requires administrator configuration to enable GPU access for users. No immediate action required unless organizations want to enable this capability.

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Vertex AI now supports Spot VMs for training and prediction jobs

Google has made Spot VMs generally available for Vertex AI training and prediction workloads, offering significant cost discounts on excess Compute Engine capacity. Users can now opt to use these preemptible instances to reduce operational costs, though Google may reclaim capacity at any time. This is an optional cost optimization feature that doesn't require any immediate action.

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Vertex AI adds GPU reservations and Workbench backup/restore

Two new features are now generally available: GPU-attached VM reservations for training and prediction jobs, and backup/restore functionality for Vertex AI Workbench instances. These enhancements improve resource availability assurance and data protection capabilities for users.

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New AI Models Available in Vertex AI Model Garden

Google has added DeepSeek-V3-0324, TxGemma, and Sesame CSM models to Model Garden. DeepSeek-R1, V3, and V3-0324 models can now be deployed with H200 GPUs and improved vLLM support. Deployment is available through Python SDK, gcloud CLI, or API in Preview mode.

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