Google Prepares Gemini 4 Launch After Skipping Gemini 3.5 Pro Model
Google is skipping the delayed Gemini 3.5 Pro model to focus on Gemini 4, according to Google-DeepMind head Koray Kavukcuoglu, with an anticipated release before the end of the year.
Google is reportedly skipping its anticipated Gemini 3.5 Pro model in favor of developing the next-generation Gemini 4, following months of delays and significant leadership changes within its artificial intelligence division.
Leadership Shifts at Google-DeepMind
Last month, Google experienced a major organizational shift when its chief scientist, Jeff Dean, announced his departure to launch an independent startup. This move triggered a restructuring at the top, moving Nobel laureate and DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis into the chief scientist role. Meanwhile, Koray Kavukcuoglu, the company's chief AI architect who has led Gemini development over the past year, took over Google-DeepMind with a promotion to senior vice president, reporting directly to CEO Sundar Pichai.
The Road to Gemini 4
Following his promotion, Kavukcuoglu addressed ongoing questions regarding the prolonged delay of Gemini 4, amid mounting criticism that Google is lagging behind competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic. In an interview with The Information, Kavukcuoglu revealed that the company's next major model is currently in its final training stages.
Our intention is to release it as soon as possible, because we see the results and we are very excited about them.
Kavukcuoglu indicated that Google aims to launch Gemini 4 well before the end of the year. The upcoming release comes roughly a year after the debut of Gemini 3 in November of last year. Explaining the strategic pivot, Kavukcuoglu noted that Google temporarily stepped back from standard Pro model development to prioritize faster Flash models. When asked whether he is concerned about losing ground to rivals, he maintained confidence in Google's competitive edge in the AI landscape.
