Google Falls Behind on Premier AI Model Launch
Google is months behind schedule on delivering its most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) model, Gemini 3.5 Pro, Bloomberg reported Thursday (July 16), citing unnamed sources.
The company was widely expected to release 3.5 Pro at its developer conference in May, but it is still working to improve the model’s capabilities, especially in coding, according to the report.
Google said in a May 19 blog post announcing the launch of Gemini 3.5 Flash: “We’re also hard at work on 3.5 Pro. It’s already being used internally, and we look forward to rolling it out next month.”
According to the Bloomberg report, the delay has been caused in part by Google’s many layers of stakeholders involved in preparing models for release, the company’s efforts to make the 3.5 Pro’s skills in writing code more competitive with its rivals, and competing factions within Google each building their own AI coding tools.
Asked about the report by Bloomberg, a Google spokesperson said, per the report: “We’re shipping quickly across a wide range of models while keeping them highly cost-effective for customers.”
Google is also working with the U.S. government and its efforts to monitor the most advanced models, according to the report.
“We’re currently testing 3.5 Pro, an upgraded Flash model, and other models with partners, and we’re productively engaged with the U.S. government on model testing and broader frameworks,” the Google spokesperson said, per the report.
PYMNTS reported in May that Gemini 3.5 Flash had become the default model across the Gemini app and Search’s AI Mode; that the Gemini app was serving more than 900 million monthly users across 230 countries; and that daily queries had grown sevenfold.
In remarks delivered at a Google event in May, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said: “Today we have 13 products with over a billion users each. Five of those have more than 3 billion users. Our Gemini models are a big reason more people are using our products, and why they’re using our products more.”
Speaking of the company’s latest AI models, Pichai said: “Gemini 3.5 Flash is available for everyone today across our products and APIs. We’re also excited for Gemini 3.5 Pro. We are using it internally, it’s showing great improvements, and it will be coming next month.”
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