TipGemini 4 Carbon: Google’s new AI takes first place on an independent leaderboard, but you cannot use it yet
Google has unveiled Gemini 4 Carbon, its strongest AI model so far. Just one day after Artificial Analysis revamped its leaderboard, Carbon took first place with 59 points, ahead of Claude Opus 5.5 on 58. The model is especially strong at cybersecurity, but for now only selected security experts can use it. Here is what it means for you.
On 28 October 2026 Google DeepMind unveiled Gemini 4 Carbon, which Google calls its strongest model. It builds on Gemini 4 Argon, released two weeks earlier. Google especially highlights cybersecurity: according to Google, Carbon is best in several tests where AI must find security holes in software, judge whether they can be exploited and write fixes. It is also meant to handle long programming tasks that run for days.
The same day Artificial Analysis, an independent company that tests AI models, published its result: Carbon scores 59 in the new Intelligence Index v5, overtaking Claude Opus 5.5 (58) and GPT-6 Astra (57). Carbon wins four of the nine sub-tests but does not lead in coding and knowledge work. At standard pricing it costs 7.76 dollars per test task, about 23 per cent less than Claude Opus 5.5 but a little more than GPT-6 Astra.
You cannot use Carbon yet. Google is first releasing it to a small group working to defend systems against cyberattacks, then gradually to more trusted partners. Only after that will it come to developers, businesses and ordinary users, "as soon as possible" according to Google, with no date. For developers the introductory price is 2 dollars per million tokens in and 10 dollars out, then 4 and 20 dollars. No consumer plan or Nordic launch has been confirmed.
Good to know: the leaderboard now changes almost every week, and a one-point lead rarely makes a noticeable difference in everyday use. Do not choose a subscription based on who leads today. Instead, test two or three AI services you already have access to on a real task, and compare the answers. We keep Carbon under Coming soon until it can be used in the Nordics at a confirmed price.
How to get started
- Do not switch subscriptions because of Carbon yet: it cannot be used.
- Test the AI services you already have on a real task and compare the answers side by side.
- If you run a website or app: keep the software updated, as AI is getting ever better at finding security holes.
- Follow Coming soon on TipAI, and we will update when Carbon is available to ordinary users.
More on TipAI
Sources
- Google: Gemini 4 Carbon: our next frontier model (28 okt 2026) (retrieved 2026-10-29)
- Artificial Analysis: Gemini 4 Carbon is the new #1 on the Intelligence Index v5 (28 okt 2026) (retrieved 2026-10-29)
- Ars Technica: Google announces Gemini 4 Carbon, its latest frontier AI model that you can’t use (okt 2026) (retrieved 2026-10-29)
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