Google recaptures the frontier state-of-the-art with Gemini 4 Carbon

Coming just two weeks after the launch of Gemini 4 Argon, Carbon is 2x better for generating secure code in Google’s internal benchmarks. It also lands directly in first place in Artificial Analysis’ updated benchmark and tops most of Google’s selected benchmarks.

— Carbon illustrates the pace at which we’re pushing the frontier forward, Google says, adding that — Our researchers and models are working hand in hand to advance capabilities faster, while strengthening our safeguards in tandem.

The model is designed for agentic frameworks, and lands second on Agent Arena, while also being optimized for long horizon tasks. It has been observed in the lab «running for days» on complex codebases, Google says.

Carbon won’t be widely launched just yet. Google is only making it available to «a subset of cyber defenders,» and will «gradually phase access» to «trusted partners» in the Fairwind program for cybersecurity testers.

The feedback from this round of secured release will then inform the guardrails and pave the way for a general release «as soon as possible.»

It will cost the same as Argon at $2 per million input tokens, and $10 per million out.

Read more: Google’s presentation, launch post, Artificial Analysis. Ars Technica, The Verge, and 9to5Google. Discussion on r/Singularity and Hacker News.