Past the Alphabet
Past 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 assorted new options which can be accessible. This, for me at the very least, began with Android 16 QPR1, which introduces all the new Materials 3 Expressive design modifications.
A recurring theme that I seen all through the Keynote was how Google continued mentioning the number of ways in which Gemini may help you. Not simply together with your telephones and tablets, however for different duties similar to searching the net with Undertaking Mariner, and even creating full-blown web sites.
Seeing as I can barely even get “Hey World” to look appropriately, I figured it is perhaps 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 option to put Gemini to the check and see what it may possibly give you?
Setting the parameters
On one hand, you possibly can simply go all-in and ask Gemini to create an internet site, which I did. Nevertheless, Gemini Superior is not the one model that I’ve at my disposal. As such, I made a decision to arrange a comparability of kinds 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 laptop. Every little thing was completed proper from Chrome browser tabs on my desktop PC.
With that out of the best way, I began with probably the most primary of prompts: Create an internet site concerning the historical past of Android.
Gemini 2.5 Professional
Gemini 2.5 Professional took just a few seconds, then enabled Canvas, and began writing code for the web site. It even instructed me that “it will likely be a single-page web site,” earlier than rendering the web page in a preview window for me to see.
After the positioning completed rendering, Gemini offered a short rationalization as to the way it created the positioning, 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. Nevertheless, it did not take lengthy for me to understand that that is basically a coding studio, as the center pane reveals the structure of assorted recordsdata. In the meantime, the pane on the correct is the place I watched the code being generated by Gemini.
A couple of minutes later, I got here again to my laptop after grabbing some espresso and was met with an error message within the preview window. I’ve no clue what it was attempting to fetch or why, and fortunately, I did not must. Within the Code Assistant panel, there’s slightly 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, but it surely additionally offered an evidence, together with the mandatory fixes, and simply began updating the code itself. One other minute later, and we had one other single-page timeline with some relatively fascinating picture selections and temporary 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 whenever you’re attempting to make use of these providers to perform a activity that nothing about.
However, 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, similar to the others.
Whereas writing the code, a separate panel appeared to the left of the chat dialog. However in contrast to the Gemini fashions, ChatGPT did not robotically present me the preview as soon as the code was created.
As a substitute, there is a “Preview” button within the prime proper nook that reveals you what was created when clicked. It is not like it is a large deal, but it surely’s simply one thing that I seen that was completed otherwise.
Claude 4 Sonnet
Rounding out the pack is Claude 4 Sonnet, which is one among Anthropic’s latest fashions. It adopted go well with, similar to the remaining, providing up a single touchdown web page that begins with a timeline. And for some purpose, it opted for a light-weight purple background, versus selecting a shade of inexperienced.
At first, I anticipated this to be just about what I’ve seen thus far, however Claude had a shock for me. Under the timeline view have been extra sections for “Android by the Numbers” together with “Main Android Variations.”
The previous simply reveals varied statistics about market share, lively gadgets, and so on. However the latter highlighted just a few of the extra vital Android releases, whereas additionally offering 4 of the most important options for every launch.
General ideas
Contemplating that I offered every of those AI chatbots with a easy immediate, I am probably not shocked that it resulted in some fairly primary designs. Some are extra advanced than others, however every one is only a single static web page.
Going into this, I assumed that this Gemini 2.5 Professional-generated web site can be probably the most primary of the 4, however because it seems, that was the improper assumption. In truth, if all I wanted (or wished) was a single HTML web page, this might be the one I’d begin with.
It would 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 now have a compressed timeline, together with two extra sections about Android’s influence and “The Horizon.”
Funnily sufficient, I used to be truly 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. In fact, 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 large or go residence, or simply keep residence
“You get out what you set in.” That is a phrase that I’ve to always remind myself of every time utilizing LLM fashions. If I solely ask a primary query or present a primary immediate, I am solely going to get primary outcomes, with the uncommon and random overachiever response.
So if you need one thing extra in-depth and may’t work out the correct immediate to enter, let AI do it for you, which is strictly what I did, as I knew that the essential immediate may not give me the outcomes I wished. And all I requested was, “Create a immediate to make use of if I need to create an internet site concerning the historical past of Android.”
Picture 1 of 2
Funnily sufficient, Gemini gave me one thing that appeared 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 immediate right here, however I then took this detailed “immediate” and ran it by way of all 4 fashions.
For the sake of brevity, I will not undergo every outcome, however the gallery of screenshots above reveals the responses. This time round, issues have been only a bit totally different, with Gemini principally regurgitating the immediate. ChatGPT form of did the identical, however at the very least gave me an HTML snippet for a “Hero Part.” Apart from that, it simply broke down every part additional, which clearly, is not what I hoped for.
Claude took an analogous strategy to Gemini 2.5 Professional, that includes sections filled with particulars and data. And whereas that is nonetheless only a single web page, it added shortcuts on the prime so you possibly can leap 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 on. After clicking the Repair Now button at the very least 5 or 6 occasions, the web site lastly rendered.
It is simply probably the most in-depth of the bunch, as there are literally a number of pages, versus the whole lot on one. Nevertheless, even the house web page is chock-full of data, even when the inventory pictures 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 challenge. 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’ll be able to’t truly 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 info has been fact-checked. As soon as all of that is completed, then I will undergo and substitute the placeholder pictures all through earlier than pushing the positioning dwell.
Nevertheless, it did assist open my eyes a bit to what’s doable, even when it is one thing that appears as primary as constructing an internet site. Oh, and by the best way, preserve your eyes peeled, as a result of we might or might not have one thing particular to share within the very close to future.
