Google DeepMind is aiming to release Gemini 4 "much earlier" than the end of 2026, according to remarks by Koray Kavukcuoglu reported by The Verge on Sept. 24.
The timeline matters because Google has not released a new flagship AI model since the Gemini 3 series in November 2025, while The Verge said OpenAI and Anthropic have released newer flagship systems since then.
According to The Verge's report, Kavukcuoglu said in an interview with The Information that Gemini 4 is in its "refinement stage" and that DeepMind wants to release "an early post-training output" as soon as possible. The report said the comments came in Kavukcuoglu's first media appearance as leader of Google's DeepMind division.
The Verge reported that Google had planned a major Gemini 3.5 Pro update after Sundar Pichai said at the I/O event in May that it would arrive in June, but that update "was never rolled out." Kavukcuoglu described that pause, according to The Verge, as a decision to "take a little bit of a step back" and prioritize faster, less powerful Flash models instead.
The same report said former AI head Demis Hassabis stepped down in August after saying "great progress" was being made on Gemini 4. The Verge's report includes no independent test results, technical details or launch date for Gemini 4.
"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 told The Information, as quoted by The Verge.