Past the Alphabet
Beyond the Alphabet is a weekly column that focuses on the tech world each inside and outside of the confines of Mountain View.
A lot of the mud has settled following Google I/O 2025, and since then, we have been messing round with the varied new options which might be accessible. This, for me no less than, started with Android 16 QPR1, which introduces all the new Materials 3 Expressive design adjustments.
A recurring theme that I seen all through the Keynote was how Google continued stating the number of ways in which Gemini will help you. Not simply together with your telephones and tablets, however for different duties reminiscent of searching the net with Challenge Mariner, and even creating full-blown web sites.
Seeing as I can barely even get “Good day World” to seem appropriately, I figured it may be enjoyable to see what Gemini can do. Because it seems, there’s a fairly large anniversary proper across the nook, as Android Central’s EIC, Shruti Shekar, reminded us that it’s going to have been 20 years since Google purchased Android. So, what higher strategy to put Gemini to the check and see what it will probably provide you with?
Setting the parameters
On one hand, you might simply go all-in and ask Gemini to create a web site, which I did. Nonetheless, Gemini Advanced is not the one model that I’ve at my disposal. As such, I made a decision to arrange a comparability of types between the next fashions:
- Gemini 2.5 Professional Preview
- Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview through Google AI Studio
- ChatGPT o4-mini-high
- Claude Sonnet 4
For additional reference, I did not use one thing like LM Studio to run these fashions domestically on my pc. Every part was accomplished proper from Chrome browser tabs on my desktop PC.
With that out of the best way, I began with essentially the most fundamental of prompts: Create a web site concerning the historical past of Android.
Gemini 2.5 Professional
Gemini 2.5 Professional took a number of seconds, then enabled Canvas, and began writing code for the web site. It even instructed me that “it is going to be a single-page web site,” earlier than rendering the web page in a preview window for me to see.
After the location completed rendering, Gemini supplied a short clarification as to the way it created the location, together with the frameworks that it used.
Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview
Utilizing the identical immediate, I converted to Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview in AI Studio and was supplied with one thing a bit totally different. I fed Gemini the identical immediate, and was taken to a totally totally different dashboard. Nonetheless, it did not take lengthy for me to understand that that is primarily a coding studio, as the center pane reveals the structure of assorted recordsdata. In the meantime, the pane on the best is the place I watched the code being generated by Gemini.
A couple of minutes later, I got here again to my pc after grabbing some espresso and was met with an error message within the preview window. I’ve no clue what it was making an attempt to fetch or why, and fortunately, I did not have to. Within the Code Assistant panel, there’s a little bit button that claims “Auto-fix.” So clearly, I clicked on it and let Gemini repair its personal code.
Not solely did it work out what was improper, however it additionally supplied a proof, together with the required fixes, and simply began updating the code itself. One other minute later, and we had one other single-page timeline with some slightly attention-grabbing picture decisions and transient descriptions.
ChatGPT o4-mini-high
I do not know whether or not it was OpenAI or Google that began exhibiting the “thought course of,” however it may be a pleasant contact. Particularly once you’re making an attempt to make use of these companies to perform a job that you already know nothing about.
Nonetheless, ChatGPT took about 40 seconds to determine the way it was going to construction and create the web site. Like Gemini 2.5 Professional, it created a single HTML web page, choosing a timeline view, identical to the others.
Whereas writing the code, a separate panel appeared to the left of the chat dialog. However not like the Gemini fashions, ChatGPT did not routinely present me the preview as soon as the code was created.
As a substitute, there is a “Preview” button within the high proper nook that reveals you what was created when clicked. It isn’t like it is a massive deal, however it’s simply one thing that I seen that was accomplished otherwise.
Claude 4 Sonnet
Rounding out the pack is Claude 4 Sonnet, which is one in all Anthropic’s latest fashions. It adopted go well with, identical to the remainder, providing up a single touchdown web page that begins with a timeline. And for some motive, it opted for a lightweight purple background, versus selecting a shade of inexperienced.
At first, I anticipated this to be just about what I’ve seen to this point, however Claude had a shock for me. Beneath the timeline view have been further sections for “Android by the Numbers” together with “Main Android Variations.”
The previous simply reveals numerous statistics about market share, energetic gadgets, and so forth. However the latter highlighted a number of of the extra vital Android releases, whereas additionally offering 4 of the most important options for every launch.
General ideas
Contemplating that I supplied every of those AI chatbots with a easy immediate, I am probably not stunned that it resulted in some fairly fundamental designs. Some are extra complicated than others, however each is only a single static web page.
Going into this, I assumed that this Gemini 2.5 Professional-generated web site can be essentially the most fundamental of the 4, however because it seems, that was the improper assumption. In actual fact, if all I wanted (or wished) was a single HTML web page, this may be the one I’d begin with.
It does not begin off with an precise timeline, however begins with neatly organized sections for every timeframe whereas providing thorough descriptions. Scroll previous that, and we’ve got a compressed timeline, together with two extra sections about Android’s influence and “The Horizon.”
Funnily sufficient, I used to be really most disenchanted with the Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview mannequin. Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview was the one mannequin that threw again any form of errors. After all, this was shortly remedied with the push of a button, however I form of really feel prefer it should not have occurred to start with.
When it comes to design, the award for worst goes to ChatGPT, because it’s about as barebones because it will get.
Go massive or go dwelling, or simply keep dwelling
“You get out what you place in.” That is a phrase that I’ve to continuously remind myself of at any time when utilizing LLM fashions. If I solely ask a fundamental query or present a fundamental immediate, I am solely going to get fundamental outcomes, with the uncommon and random overachiever response.
So if you need one thing extra in-depth and might’t work out the best immediate to enter, let AI do it for you, which is precisely what I did, as I knew that the essential immediate won’t give me the outcomes I wished. And all I requested was, “Create a immediate to make use of if I need to create a web site concerning the historical past of Android.”
Picture 1 of 2
Funnily sufficient, Gemini gave me one thing that seemed much like what the Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview gave me earlier. If you wish to test it out for your self, you possibly can see the prompt here, however I then took this detailed “immediate” and ran it by means of all 4 fashions.
For the sake of brevity, I will not undergo every consequence, however the gallery of screenshots above reveals the responses. This time round, issues have been only a bit totally different, with Gemini mainly regurgitating the immediate. ChatGPT form of did the identical, however no less than gave me an HTML snippet for a “Hero Part.” Aside from that, it simply broke down every part additional, which clearly, is not what I hoped for.
Claude took an identical strategy to Gemini 2.5 Professional, that includes sections full of particulars and knowledge. And whereas that is nonetheless only a single web page, it added shortcuts on the high so you possibly can soar between sections.
I had excessive hopes for Gemini 2.5 Flash Preview, however after being prompted to depart the web page, it threw one other error that wanted to be fastened. And one other, and one other, and one other, and so forth. After clicking the Repair Now button no less than 5 or 6 occasions, the web site lastly rendered.
It is simply essentially the most in-depth of the bunch, as there are literally a number of pages, versus all the pieces on one. Nonetheless, even the house web page is chock-full of knowledge, even when the inventory photos are laughably off the mark.
This was actually solely step one
Picture 1 of 4
Extra importantly, that is form of what I had envisioned when setting out on this undertaking. Partially as a result of that is how my mind operates, but additionally as a result of I am a fan of the “completionist” strategy to sure web sites.
The kicker about that is that it is actually simply step one. You may’t really go to any of those web sites that have been created, as you want a bunch and a site. To not point out that not one of the populated data has been fact-checked. As soon as all of that is accomplished, then I am going to undergo and exchange the placeholder photos all through earlier than pushing the location reside.
Nonetheless, it did assist open my eyes a bit to what’s doable, even when it is one thing that appears as fundamental as constructing a web site. Oh, and by the best way, maintain your eyes peeled, as a result of we might or might not have one thing particular to share within the very close to future.
