[rsanek]

>a casual user can't use [Gemini] unless they: 1. have a Google account, and 2. are logged in.

Is this a regional thing? I can use Google AI Mode without being logged in just fine. AI summaries for certain queries are also auto-generated when logged out for me.

[frankohn]

Well, I am not sure about that but to me the real thing is: https://gemini.google.com and for this you need to be logged in, at least in my country.

As for AI mode from google search I am not sure but I don't seem to have it, at least in my country, switzerland.

[dieortin]

AI mode is available in Switzerland: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/16011537#:~:text...

[varenc]

Going to https://gemini.google.com works fine for me when not logged in. It might be doing some sort of reputation check on your browser/IP to decide whether it requires a login or not.

edit: sure enough, while using Tor or a well known VPN IP, Gemini requires I login.

[frankohn]

That does not match what I see, gemini.google.com always present me a login page and it did the same for my colleague at work.

[varenc]

That's not inconsistent with what I reported. It seems to require it sometimes, but not others, for mysterious reasons.

Are you and your colleague both trying at work? Probably on the same IP? Google might attribute less trust to an IP shared between many different users than it does to a regular residential internet IP (like mine).

Did some more testing and the behavior is interesting. When connecting through a Mullvad node in the US it doesn't require login, but any Mullvad node outside of the US and it does. I might be wrong its and it's just a per-country policy.

[jowea]

I just tried it, I was able to use it without login. But the thinking model isn't available.