Note: This information is up-to-date as of January 2026
Davidson College offers two distinct generative AI platforms to empower your work and learning: Amplify AI and Google Gemini. While both provide access to artificial intelligence, they serve different primary roles and offer unique sets of capabilities and integrations.
Amplify AI: Your Flexible AI Workspace with Multiple Models
Google Gemini: Your Multimodal AI Assistant Integrated with Google
Comparison: Amplify AI vs. Google Gemini
Models Available in Amplify AI
Models and Tools Available with Google
Amplify AI: Your Flexible AI Workspace with Multiple Models
Amplify AI at Davidson (amplify.davidson.edu) acts as a centralized, secure portal to a variety of leading AI models (like those from OpenAI and Anthropic's Claude). It’s an open-source framework designed for enterprise chat, emphasizing flexibility and customization. Amplify AI allows you to:
- Choose from multiple AI models based on your specific task needs.
- Create custom AI Assistants tailored for specialized workflows.
- Develop reusable Prompt Templates and Custom Instructions for consistent AI interactions.
- Upload files directly within chats to provide context to the AI.
- Organize and share your conversations, templates, and assistants with other Davidson users for collaboration.
Google Gemini: Your Multimodal AI Assistant Integrated with Google
Google Gemini at Davidson (gemini.google.com) is Google's own family of powerful, multimodal AI models. It is integrated with your existing Google Workspace environment, making it a seamless extension of your daily tools in some areas. Gemini allows you to:
- Engage in multimodal interactions, understanding and generating content across text, code, images, audio, and video (where supported).
- Leverage NotebookLM for advanced research and synthesis directly from your Google Drive files.
- Create "Gems" (customized AI assistants) for personalized assistance.
- Utilize advanced reasoning and content generation capabilities.
- Gemini also offers a dedicated mobile application.
Comparison: Amplify AI vs. Google Gemini
| Feature / Aspect | Amplify AI (Davidson College) | Google Gemini (Davidson College) |
| Primary Role | Flexible Platform/Portal for multiple AI models | Google's Own Multimodal AI integrated with Google Workspace |
| Underlying AI Models | ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic) | Gemini family |
| Multimodality | Primarily text-based chat; file upload for context. | Native Multimodal: designed for text, code, images, audio, video. |
| Key Customization | Create AI Assistants, Prompt Templates, Custom Instructions. | Create "Gems" (customized AI assistants). |
| Collaboration | Share conversations, assistants, templates with Davidson users. | Can share "Gems" directly. |
| Data Protection | Institutional data protections (secure enterprise chat). | Institutional data protections (same as Davidson Google Drive). |
| Usage Limits | Currently no usage or prompt limits. | Limited usage/rate limits may apply. |
| Integration | File upload (PDF, DOCX, CSV); no native external app integrations. | Integration with some Google Workspace apps (Docs, Drive, etc.).(Note: Direct integration with applications like Sheets is not yet available.) |
| Status | Open source framework, expect ongoing development from the open source community. | Considered a mature, evolving product family offered directly by Google. |
| Unique Feature | Centralized access to diverse models; robust sharing options across assistants and chats. | Native multimodal input/output; NotebookLM for deep document analysis. |
Available Models & Their Best Uses
Models Available in Amplify AI
(These models are chosen for their specific strengths and are accessible via a dropdown within the Amplify AI interface.)
Standard Models These models run quickly and are great for everyday tasks such as writing, summarizing, and brainstorming.
GPT 5.2 - The Default Model for Amplify. A high-intelligence "powerhouse" model capable of handling most complex tasks effectively.
GPT 5 Mini - Best for simple tasks where speed is a priority.
Claude Haiku 4.5 - Extremely fast and efficient; great for quick summaries or simple text generation.
Thinking Models These models excel at complex reasoning, coding, and maintaining logical consistency over long conversations. They may take slightly longer to respond but provide greater depth.
Claude Sonnet 4.5 - widely considered the premier model for coding, complex logical structures, and nuanced creative writing.
Models and Tools Available with Google
Access to these tools are available through your Davidson Google Account
Gemini Fast
Best For: Extremely fast responses and cost-efficiency. Ideal for rapid text generation, quick summaries, and applications where speed is more critical than maximum reasoning depth. Excellent for high-volume or real-time interactions.
Gemini Thinking
Best For: Deep reasoning and solving multi-faceted problems. Ideal for detailed academic research, strategic planning, complex logic puzzles, and long-form content generation where coherence is paramount. Use this model when intellectual depth and handling nuance are more critical than speed.
Gemini Pro
Best For: Advanced technical capabilities and precision. Ideal for complex coding tasks, sophisticated mathematical analysis, and step-by-step logical deductions. It takes more time to process in order to deliver higher accuracy for specialized STEM and programming challenges.
Tool: NotebookLM
Best For: In-depth research and grounded synthesis. Ideal for analyzing multiple source documents (PDFs, Google Docs), creating structured outlines, and generating insights directly from uploaded materials. Acts as a powerful research assistant that answers questions based strictly on your provided files.