Google finally eases open the lid on Gemini 4 "Argon"

Argon will initially cost $2/m input tokens and $10/m output tokens, rising to $4/$20 after an “introductory period”.

Updated Oct 1, 2026 11:40 AM / Published Oct 1, 2026 11:01 AM 2 min read

Google finally eases open the lid on Gemini 4 "Argon" — An Argon discharge tube. Image credit: Alchemist-hp, GNU Free Documentation License, v1.2

After months of delays, and following a leadership refresh for its DeepMind lab, Google has released its Gemini 4 model, but you still can’t use it.

Google published the first details of its Gemini 4 Argon model on Wednesday and confirmed it had scrapped plans for a 3.5 Pro release after its delayed release saw Google AI fall behind frontier competition.

CEO Sundar Pichai said: "Argon has frontier safeguards and we are rolling it out responsibly - it’s with the US gov’t and going to a set of trusted cyber defenders through our Fairwind Program today."

He added the company provided the “early look” after “lots of discussion” about its next AI model. Posts about Gemini 4 “leaks” had proliferated across social media platforms, including X, over the last week.

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Noah Bovenizer

Noah Bovenizer is a senior reporter with The Stack. He previously covered the transportation sector for Global Data. He has a first class degree in journalism and has also worked as a newsreader for Gaydio.