Google's Gemini 4 "Carbon" model is reportedly matching Anthropic's Opus 5.5 coding performance
Google's internal Gemini 4 'Carbon' variant reportedly matches Anthropic's Opus 5.5 coding performance on its internal Jetski platform.
Business Insider reports Google is testing Gemini 4 variants Argon, Barium, and Carbon, with Carbon deployed on Google's internal coding platform Jetski and said to outperform Argon on programming, comparing to Anthropic's Opus 5.5. Argon is Google's frontier reasoning model, with Flash, Omni, and Gemma filling other roles. Google is prepping a Gemini 4 launch, adding an 'Automatic' mode and an AI Studio 'Ultra' mode, though no launch date is set.
- Carbon variant reportedly beats Argon mainly on coding, matching Opus 5.5
- Argon is Google's frontier reasoning model; Flash for speed, Omni for media, Gemma open-weights
- Gemini app gains 'Automatic' mode; AI Studio surfaces 'Ultra' mode
- No official Gemini 4 launch date announced
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Gemini 4 "Argon" hasn't even shipped yet, and there are already rumors about the next performance update.
According to documents, screenshots, and internal chats seen by Business Insider, Google is testing several Gemini 4 variants called Argon, Barium, and Carbon. Carbon was deployed on Google's internal coding platform Jetski over the past few days and is said to beat Argon mainly on programming tasks.
One employee compared Carbon to Anthropic's strongest coding model, Opus 5.5, though it still needs more testing. Early Argon versions, by contrast, reminded another employee of the older Opus 5 on some coding tasks, even though internal feedback was positive overall.
Argon is Google's frontier reasoning model
Early rumors pegged Argon as a Flash model optimized for speed over peak performance. The announcement of Google's Gemini agent for Google Workspace puts that to rest. Google maps its models to specific roles: "Argon for frontier reasoning, Flash for speed and volume, Omni for generative media, and Gemma for lightweight, open-weights edge workloads," the company writes.
So Argon is definitely Google's most capable reasoning model, comparable to Anthropic's Opus or OpenAI's Astra. Carbon and Barium are likely checkpoints or updates within the Argon family, not separate tiers. One employee internally called Carbon "Gemini pro next model," suggesting it would ship under the Argon name. That fits with internal documents showing the now-unveiled Argon was previously called "Barium-B." Whether Carbon ships as an Argon update or a standalone model remains unclear.
The quick update pace, similar to what Google has done with the Flash models, suggests Google has gotten better at using AI to build new models. Google Deepmind employee Vedant Misra responded to the Business Insider report on X by writing, "Have you heard of recursive self improvement," referring to using AI to build better AI. OpenAI and Anthropic have reported similar progress.
Google is already prepping for the Gemini 4 launch
There's still no official Gemini 4 launch date yet, but Google is already retooling its apps. The Gemini app now shows a new "Automatic" mode for the 3-series models and adjustable reasoning intensity from low to high. Google AI Studio has surfaced a new "Ultra" mode promising "advanced skills and tools." Google's Logan Kilpatrick confirmed the team is working on getting the most out of Argon.
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