Mistral’s Big AI Updates: What You Need to Know
French AI startup Mistral has rolled out some exciting updates to its tools. If you’re into AI, this might be worth checking out. They’re adding new features, improving their models, and making everything feel more user-friendly. Here’s a quick look at what’s new.
Le Chat Gets Smarter
Mistral’s chatbot, Le Chat, just got a big upgrade. Now, it can:
- Search the web and include links to its sources, similar to ChatGPT.
- Use a canvas tool for editing or transforming content like mockups and visualizations. Think documents, presentations, code, or webpage designs—you can tweak them directly without starting over.
- Handle large PDF files and images, even ones with graphs or equations.
- Generate images using Black Forest Labs’ Flux Pro model.
- Run shareable, automated workflows, which Mistral calls AI “agents.” For example, these agents can process invoices or scan expense reports.
All these updates are free while Le Chat is in beta.
Meet Pixtral Large
Mistral has also introduced a powerful new model, Pixtral Large. It processes both text and images and does an amazing job with documents, charts, and photos. With 124 billion parameters, it matches or beats top models like OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro on certain tasks.
Mistral calls Pixtral Large’s image understanding “frontier-level”, meaning it’s at the cutting edge.
Upgraded Text Models
Mistral’s flagship text-only model, now called Mistral Large 24.11, also got an upgrade. It’s better at handling long texts, making it perfect for analyzing documents or automating tasks.
You can use both Pixtral Large and Mistral Large 24.11 in or outside of Le Chat. They’re available under two licenses: one for research and another for businesses wanting to develop or sell products.
Where to Find These Tools
These models are available through Mistral’s API and Hugging Face, a popular AI platform. Soon, they’ll also be on cloud services like Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure.
What’s Next for Mistral?
Mistral has been busy lately. They’ve:
- Created a free tool for developers to test their models.
- Launched an SDK to help customers fine-tune their AI.
- Released a model specifically for coding, called Codestral.
With $640 million in funding and a team that includes former Meta and DeepMind researchers, Mistral is focused on building advanced AI that’s accessible and practical.
They’re not chasing futuristic goals like artificial general intelligence. Instead, they’re working to deliver powerful, useful tools for everyone.
As Mistral says, their mission is to put “frontier AI in your hands.” And they’re already making progress—this summer, they started generating revenue.
If you’re looking for cutting-edge AI tools, Mistral is worth keeping an eye on.
What do you think about these updates? Are you excited about any particular feature? Let’s chat in the comments!
