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

Google rebranded Vertex AI in Firebase to Firebase AI Logic in May 2025, expanding the client-side SDK to support both the Gemini Developer API and the enterprise Agent Platform backend. The change introduces a new firebase/ai package replacing firebase/vertexai, with getAI() and backend selection replacing getVertexAI(), plus App Check protection, multimodal chat responses, and Gemini Nano on-device support in Chrome. A developer migrating a real Angular + Gemini project documented the SDK import changes and provider-switching code required to move off the deprecated Vertex-only path.

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 .