# Vertex AI in Firebase is Now Firebase AI Logic: What Actually Changed

> Source: <https://dev.to/wayne_gakuo/vertex-ai-in-firebase-is-now-firebase-ai-logic-what-actually-changed-fbb>
> Published: 2026-09-16 11:27:18+00:00

If you learned Vertex AI in Firebase last year and came back in 2026 to find Firebase AI Logic, you’re not alone as I went through the same reset. I’d already shipped an [Angular + Gemini demo](https://bytewiseshop.web.app/), then spent days reconciling old blog posts, renamed Console menus, and SDK imports that no longer compiled. This article is the companion to my setup tutorial: not *how to wire Angular*, but *what the rebrand actually means* and what’s new compared to the original Vertex-only path. This is documented from the mistakes and migration work I did on a real project.

In **May 2025**, Firebase renamed and expanded it to **Firebase AI Logic**. The rename reflects a wider scope, not a different product category. Same client-side idea; more backends and features.

| Era | Name | What it meant | 
|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | Vertex AI in Firebase (preview) | Client SDKs → Vertex AI Gemini API only | 
| Oct 2024 | Vertex AI in Firebase (GA) | Production-ready Vertex path | 
| May 2025+ | **Firebase AI Logic** | Agent Platform Gemini API **or** Gemini Developer API, new SDK, expanded platform support | 

`GoogleAIBackend`)
The biggest addition. Prototype on the **Spark (free) plan**, then scale. Console: **Build → AI Logic → Get started → Gemini Developer API**. The original product only offered the enterprise Vertex/Agent Platform path.

Switch providers by changing initialization:

``` js
import { getAI, GoogleAIBackend, AgentPlatformBackend } from 'firebase/ai';

// Gemini Developer API — easiest way to get started (this guide uses this)
getAI(app, { backend: new GoogleAIBackend() });

// Agent Platform / enterprise (what Vertex AI in Firebase was built around)
getAI(app, { backend: new AgentPlatformBackend('global') });
```

You can enable both APIs in one Firebase project.

App Check can protect Developer API traffic, not just the enterprise backend. Required for production AI Logic on web; this guide wires it in Part 2.

Migrate from the deprecated path:

| Vertex AI in Firebase | Firebase AI Logic | 
|---|---|
| `firebase/vertexai` | `firebase/ai` | 
| `getVertexAI()` | `getAI()` + backend | 

Firebase Console dashboards now cover client-side AI Logic requests (not only server-side Genkit).

Client-side AI Logic for games and Android XR.

Multimodal chat responses (text + image), beyond Imagen-only client access.

Gemini Nano on Chrome with `prefer_on_device`, falling back to cloud automatically.

Firebase AI Logic authorizes Developer API calls via a **Google-managed service account**, not a Gemini API key embedded in your app. Use your normal Firebase web `apiKey` + App Check; do not add Generative Language API to that key's allowlist (if it's still available as an option).

``` js
// BEFORE — Vertex AI in Firebase
import { getVertexAI, getGenerativeModel } from 'firebase/vertexai';
const vertexAI = getVertexAI(app);
const model = getGenerativeModel(vertexAI, { model: 'gemini-2.0-flash' });

// AFTER — Firebase AI Logic
import { getAI, getGenerativeModel, GoogleAIBackend } from 'firebase/ai';
const ai = getAI(app, { backend: new GoogleAIBackend() });
const model = getGenerativeModel(ai, { model: 'gemini-2.5-flash' });
```

Official references: [May 2025 announcement](https://firebase.blog/posts/2025/05/building-ai-apps/), [FAQ — why the name changed](https://firebase.google.com/docs/ai-logic/faq-and-troubleshooting).