Google began giving users access to its new flagship artificial intelligence model, Gemini 4 Argon, on Tuesday evening as part of a worldwide rollout, Spiegel reports. The release marks Google's attempt to reassert itself in a field where rivals Anthropic and OpenAI drew far more attention with their own model launches earlier this year.
According to Spiegel, Gemini 4 Argon sits roughly level with OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra in the intelligence ranking maintained by Artificial Analysis.
The model was first shown off in late September, and the question of how capable and how useful it will prove in everyday work has occupied the AI community since then. Spiegel notes that Google's previous generation, Gemini 3, arrived nearly a year ago, and that the company's recent AI products generated a quieter response than the models Anthropic and OpenAI released in spring and summer.
Why it matters
Google is aiming Gemini 4 Argon squarely at the corporate market, where it hopes to take customers from Anthropic and OpenAI, according to Spiegel. That makes the model's distribution and pricing as consequential as its benchmark scores.
The launch also highlights a widening gap in how AI companies package their best technology. Google is not putting Argon in every tier of its subscription lineup, and Spiegel reports that the decision leaves some paying customers without access.
Who gets Argon, and who does not
Subscribers to Google's AI Pro and AI Ultra plans will find Gemini 4 Argon in the AI mode of Google Search and in the Gemini app, Spiegel reports. On Antigravity, Google's platform built around AI agents, the model is available only to AI Ultra subscribers.
Customers on Google AI Plus, the entry-level plan, are excluded. That tier costs 4.99 euros or 9.99 euros per month depending on how much storage a user chooses, according to Spiegel. The outlet notes that AI Plus subscribers recently complained when Google removed so-called Pro models from that plan's offerings.
For context on the pricing ladder, Spiegel reports that AI Pro normally costs 21.99 euros per month, while AI Ultra plans start at 99.99 euros per month.
People without any subscription can still reach Gemini 4 Argon through the Gemini API. Spiegel reports that Google is charging 2 dollars per million input tokens and 10 dollars per million output tokens at launch. After November 30, those rates are set to rise to 4 dollars and 20 dollars respectively.
What Google says the model can do
In a press release accompanying the launch, Google said Argon performs well on complex, practical tasks in fields including programming, finance, law, cybersecurity and science, according to Spiegel. The company also said the model is meant to help in research areas such as quantum computing and nuclear fusion, as well as in robot development.
Google further claims that Argon answers questions more directly, without beating around the bush. According to Spiegel, the company says the model avoids repeating itself more than necessary, steers clear of clichés, and follows stylistic instructions more reliably than earlier Gemini models.
The competitive backdrop remains intense. Spiegel notes that Meta recently introduced two new top-tier models, Muse Wonder and Muse Wonder Full, and that Mark Zuckerberg's company is placing a heavier bet than Google on so-called personal AI agents.
What to watch next: whether the November 30 API price increase changes how developers build on Argon, and whether Google eventually extends access to its AI Plus tier.
