Google's September 15 announcement, updated September 17, describes Gemini 3.8 Live and Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking. The pair is designed for conversations that include visual context and tasks extending beyond a short spoken answer.
The regular Live model emphasizes responsive dialogue, while Extended Thinking adds reasoning for more complex requests.
Google says Live can use near-real-time visual input and switch between 97 supported languages mid-conversation. Extended Thinking is designed to reason and speak at the same time, acknowledging a request while background tool calls continue.
The developer rollout begins in the Gemini API and Google AI Studio. Enterprise access is a private preview at launch. Google lists Extended Thinking in Gemini Live, with Workspace Docs access for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers and Gmail and Keep access for Google AI subscribers.