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Original: Simon Willison · 12/02/2026

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Summary

New from Google. They say it’s built to push the frontier of intelligence and solve modern challenges across science, research, and engineering. New from Google. They say it’s “built to push the frontier of intelligence and solve modern challenges across science, research, and engineering”.

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Key Insights

“New from Google. They say it’s built to push the frontier of intelligence and solve modern challenges across science, research, and engineering.” — Introduction to Gemini 3’s purpose and capabilities.
“It drew me a really good SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle!” — Willison’s initial reaction to Gemini 3’s output.
“Since it did so well on my basic Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle I decided to try the more challenging version as well.” — Decision to test Gemini 3’s capabilities further with a more complex prompt.

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Topics

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Full Article

# Gemini 3 Deep Think
Author: Simon Willison
Published: 2026-02-12
Source: https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/12/gemini-3-deep-think/#atom-everything
Gemini 3 Deep Think New from Google. They say it’s “built to push the frontier of intelligence and solve modern challenges across science, research, and engineering”. It drew me a really good SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle! I think this is the best one I’ve seen so far - here’s my previous collection. This alt text also generated by Gemini 3 Deep Think: A highly detailed, colorful, flat vector illustration with thick dark blue outlines depicting a stylized white pelican riding a bright cyan blue bicycle from left to right across a sandy beige beach with white speed lines indicating forward motion. The pelican features a light blue eye, a pink cheek blush, a massive bill with a vertical gradient from yellow to orange, a backward magenta cap with a cyan brim and a small yellow top button, and a matching magenta scarf blowing backward in the wind. Its white wing, accented with a grey mid-section and dark blue feather tips, reaches forward to grip the handlebars, while its long tan leg and orange foot press down on an orange pedal. Attached to the front handlebars is a white wire basket carrying a bright blue cartoon fish that is pointing upwards and forwards. The bicycle itself has a cyan frame, dark blue tires, striking neon pink inner rims, cyan spokes, a white front chainring, and a dark blue chain. Behind the pelican, a grey trapezoidal pier extends from the sand toward a horizontal band of deep blue ocean water detailed with light cyan wavy lines. A massive, solid yellow-orange semi-circle sun sits on the horizon line, setting directly behind the bicycle frame. The background sky is a smooth vertical gradient transitioning from soft pink at the top to warm golden-yellow at the horizon, decorated with stylized pale peach fluffy clouds, thin white horizontal wind streaks, twinkling four-pointed white stars, and small brown v-shaped silhouettes of distant flying birds. (And since it’s an FAQ, here’s my answer to What happens if AI labs train for pelicans riding bicycles?) Since it did so well on my basic Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle I decided to try the more challenging version as well:
Generate an SVG of a California brown pelican riding a bicycle. The bicycle must have spokes and a correctly shaped bicycle frame. The pelican must have its characteristic large pouch, and there should be a clear indication of feathers. The pelican must be clearly pedaling the bicycle. The image should show the full breeding plumage of the California brown pelican.
Here’s what I got: Also described by Gemini 3 Deep Think: A highly detailed, vibrant, and stylized vector illustration of a whimsical bird resembling a mix between a pelican and a frigatebird enthusiastically riding a bright cyan bicycle from left to right across a flat tan and brown surface. The bird leans horizontally over the frame in an aerodynamic racing posture, with thin, dark brown wing-like arms reaching forward to grip the silver handlebars and a single thick brown leg, patterned with white V-shapes, stretching down to press on a black pedal. The bird's most prominent and striking feature is an enormous, vividly bright red, inflated throat pouch hanging beneath a long, straight grey upper beak that ends in a small orange hook. Its head is mostly white with a small pink patch surrounding the eye, a dark brown stripe running down the back of its neck, and a distinctive curly pale yellow crest on the very top. The bird's round, dark brown body shares the same repeating white V-shaped feather pattern as its leg and is accented by a folded wing resting on its side, made up of cleanly layered light blue and grey feathers. A tail composed of four stiff, straight dark brown feathers extends directly backward. Thin white horizontal speed lines trail behind the back wheel and the bird's tail, emphasizing swift forward motion. The bicycle features a classic diamond frame, large wheels with thin black tires, grey rims, and detailed silver spokes, along with a clearly visible front chainring, silver chain, and rear cog. The whimsical scene is set against a clear light blue sky featuring two small, fluffy white clouds on the left and a large, pale yellow sun in the upper right corner that radiates soft, concentric, semi-transparent pastel green and yellow halos. A solid, darker brown shadow is cast directly beneath the bicycle's wheels on the minimalist two-toned brown ground.

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Key Takeaways

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Notable Quotes

New from Google. They say it’s built to push the frontier of intelligence and solve modern challenges across science, research, and engineering.
Context: Introduction to Gemini 3’s purpose and capabilities.
It drew me a really good SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle!
Context: Willison’s initial reaction to Gemini 3’s output.
Since it did so well on my basic Generate an SVG of a pelican riding a bicycle I decided to try the more challenging version as well.
Context: Decision to test Gemini 3’s capabilities further with a more complex prompt.
  • [[topics/creative-ai]]
  • [[topics/prompt-engineering]]
  • [[topics/ai-agents]]

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Originally published at https://simonwillison.net/2026/Feb/12/gemini-3-deep-think/#atom-everything.