Google is rolling out its latest AI model, Gemini 4 Carbon, to the general public, following an initial release to cybersecurity defenders two weeks ago. According to The Verge, the company describes this new system as its strongest model to date and capable of competing with top offerings from OpenAI and Anthropic.
Key takeaways
- Gemini 4 Carbon follows last month's Argon model launch.
- A preview of the agent swarm feature is coming to the Antigravity platform.
- Introductory pricing is set at $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens.
- The model is available via the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and Gemini for business.
What is Gemini 4 Carbon?
Google reports that Gemini 4 Carbon pushes the frontier further than its predecessor Argon, which launched just last month. While Argon remains suited for software engineering and general knowledge work, Carbon targets tasks that test intelligence limits, including open-ended scientific research and complex multi-step coding. The company initially provided the model to a select group of cybersecurity defenders before bringing it to the wider public.
How does the agent swarm feature work?
To showcase the model's capacity for long-horizon work, Google is previewing a swarm feature on its Antigravity platform. The Verge reports that this tool turns a single user prompt into a coordinated team of agents. Developers can access Carbon through the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and Gemini for business. Google AI Ultra subscribers will also find the model in the Gemini app, Search's AI Mode, and Antigravity.
What about token pricing and market position?
Carbon debuts with an introductory price of $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens. These rates are a fraction of competitor costs, standing at roughly a fifth of OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra and a quarter of Anthropic's Fable 5.2 model. Introductory pricing doubles at the end of November, though the model remains cheaper on a per-token basis than its rivals even after the increase.
Why it matters
This rapid rollout marks a return for Google to the forefront of AI research after months where the sector appeared dominated by Anthropic and OpenAI. Paying developers, enterprises, and Google AI Ultra subscribers gain immediate access to the technology, while the availability for lower tier subscribers and free users remains unconfirmed.
Frequently asked questions
Gemini 4 Carbon is Google's newest AI model, built for complex tasks like multi-step coding and open-ended scientific research.
Carbon launches with an introductory price of $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens, which will double at the end of November.
It is available via the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and Gemini for business, as well as for Google AI Ultra subscribers in the Gemini app, Search's AI Mode, and Antigravity.
The swarm feature is a preview tool on the Antigravity platform that lets users turn a single prompt into a coordinated team of agents.
Google claims Carbon competes with top systems from OpenAI and Anthropic, offering lower per-token introductory pricing than GPT-6 Astra and Fable 5.2.
Based on reporting by The Verge. Read the original article
