Google’s DeepMind chief says Gemini 4 is nearly ready, and he wants it out fast. Koray Kavukcuoglu told The Information that the new frontier AI model is in its refinement stage and that Google aims to launch it “much earlier” than the end of the year.
“Our intention is to, like — as soon as possible — to release an early post-training output because we see the results and we are excited,” Kavukcuoglu said. He added that the company would “continue the fast-paced iterations” going forward.
The promise comes after a year of delays. Google has not released a new flagship AI model since Gemini 3 in November 2025. OpenAI’s GPT-6 and Anthropic’s Mythos series have both launched since then, outperforming Gemini 3 and giving rivals a sizable lead. Gemini 3.5 Pro was meant to fill that gap, but it never arrived.
The Long Wait for Gemini 4
Kavukcuoglu’s comments mark a shift in tone for Google’s AI division. The company has lagged behind competitors on flagship releases, and Gemini 4 was meant to be the answer. The new chief’s eagerness suggests the model is close to completion.
He also addressed the concern directly. When asked whether he was worried about Google falling behind its rivals on AI development, he told The Information that “In my mind, it’s a certainty that we are always gonna be at the frontier.”
That confidence comes after a leadership shakeup at DeepMind. Former AI head Demis Hassabis stepped down in August, saying that “great progress” was being made on Gemini 4.
Why Gemini 3.5 Pro Never Happened
Google had planned to bridge the gap with a major update. CEO Sundar Pichai announced at the I/O event in May that a Gemini 3.5 Pro update would be coming in June. It never rolled out.
Kavukcuoglu explained why the update was delayed. The company “took a little bit of a step back” to focus on introducing faster, less powerful Flash models instead of releasing Gemini 3.5 Pro.
What Comes Next
The question now is whether the promise holds. Kavukcuoglu’s enthusiasm is real, but the record on timelines is not entirely reassuring.
The stakes are high. OpenAI’s GPT-6 and Anthropic’s Mythos series have established a new standard, and Gemini 4 needs to meet or exceed it to keep Google competitive. Google’s last flagship release came more than a year ago, and the company is now racing to catch up.
Key Facts
- Google last released a flagship AI model in November 2025 with Gemini 3
- OpenAI’s GPT-6 and Anthropic’s Mythos series have launched since then
- Demis Hassabis stepped down as DeepMind’s AI head in August
- Sundar Pichai promised a Gemini 3.5 Pro update in June, which never rolled out
- Koray Kavukcuoglu said Gemini 4 will launch “much earlier” than the end of the year
The takeaway is simple: Google wants Gemini 4 to ship sooner rather than later. That is a change from the company’s recent pattern of slow AI releases. Whether the model can close the gap with OpenAI and Anthropic remains to be seen.
Source material: “Gemini 4 is almost ready, says new Google DeepMind chief,” The Verge.
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