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Gemini 4 Carbon, which Google built for hard tasks, opens to paying developers
Google says Carbon ranks first on three benchmarks at more than 2X lower cost per task than the next best external model; the introductory price ends on 30 November.
Check our sources · 9 facts from 1 source
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Key points
- Google opened Gemini 4 Carbon on 10 November to all paying developers and enterprises through Google AI Studio and Gemini for business, two weeks after limiting it to cyber defenders.
- The introductory price is $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens; after 30 November 2026 it is $4 and $20.
- Google says Carbon uses more tokens than Gemini 4 Argon to explore and verify, and that Argon remains the better choice for most software engineering and knowledge work.
What happened
Google opened Gemini 4 Carbon to paying Gemini API developers and enterprises on 10 November, two weeks after it limited the model to cybersecurity defenders. Google DeepMind announced it in a post by Koray Kavukcuoglu, its SVP and Google's chief AI architect.
Google says Carbon is built for work that tests the limits of a model: complex multi-step coding and debugging, and open-ended scientific research. It says Carbon uses more tokens than Gemini 4 Argon to explore and verify, and that Argon remains the better choice for most software engineering and knowledge work.
On performance, Google says Carbon ranks first on CursorBench 4.0, Perplexity's WANDR and Zapier's AutomationBench, at more than 2 times lower cost per task than the next best external model. The rankings are Google's statement; the post names WANDR as Perplexity's and AutomationBench as Zapier's.
It also says Carbon ranks second on a Multimodal Knowledge Agent benchmark it launched with Artificial Analysis, at more than 6 times lower average cost per task than the top model.
In Google's own cyberattack simulations, it says Carbon's safeguards cut the per-attempt breach rate to 0.8%, from 3.1% on Argon.
The API is open to all paying developers through Google AI Studio and to enterprises through Gemini for business. Google AI Ultra subscribers get it in Google Antigravity, the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search. Scientists can apply for free access through Antigravity for six months, and cyber defenders can apply to the Fairwind Program.
Google prices Carbon at the same introductory rate as Argon, $2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens. After 30 November 2026 the price becomes $4 and $20. Google is also previewing a /swarm feature in Antigravity that turns one prompt into a coordinated team of agents.
What it means for you
Our viewGoogle positions Carbon for the hardest coding and research tasks, and says Argon remains the better choice for most software engineering and knowledge work, so most teams will not need to switch.
The cost-per-task claim is Google's own statement on three benchmarks, and a model that uses more tokens can cost more per task than its per-token price suggests. The price also rises on 30 November.
Before then, run a few of your hardest tasks on both Carbon and Argon, record the tokens each uses, and cost them at the later price.
It adds no new facts.
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Check our sources
Every sentence above is checked against this source.
1 Gemini 4 Carbon is now available (10 Nov 2026)
Open the source archived copy-
Google DeepMind's post of 10 November 2026, by Koray Kavukcuoglu (SVP, Google DeepMind and Chief AI Architect, Google), says: "Today, we're making Gemini 4 Carbon available to developers, enterprises, scientists, and consumers." It adds: "Two weeks ago, we released Carbon to a set of cybersecurity defenders via our Fairwind Program."
citeNov 10, 2026 ... Koray Kavukcuoglu SVP, Google DeepMind and Chief AI Architect, Google ... Today, we’re making Gemini 4 Carbon available to developers, enterprises, scientists, and consumers. Two weeks ago , we released Carbon to a set of cybersecurity defenders via our Fairwind Program
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Google says Carbon is "built for tasks that test the limits of a model's intelligence like complex, multi-step coding and debugging and open-ended scientific research and discovery — using more tokens than Argon to explore thoroughly, reason deeply, and run extended verification loops", and that "Argon remains the ideal choice for the majority of software engineering and knowledge work".
citeArgon remains the ideal choice for the majority of software engineering and knowledge work, while Carbon is built for tasks that test the limits of a model’s intelligence like complex, multi-step coding and debugging and open-ended scientific research and discovery — using more tokens than Argon to explore thoroughly, reason deeply, and run extended verification loops.
-
Google says Carbon "ranks #1 on CursorBench 4.0, Perplexity's WANDR, and Zapier's AutomationBench at more than 2X lower cost per task compared to the next best external model." The post names WANDR as Perplexity's and AutomationBench as Zapier's; the ranking is Google's statement.
Toned down to what the source says
citeIt ranks #1 on CursorBench 4.0 , Perplexity’s WANDR , and Zapier’s AutomationBench at more than 2X lower cost per task compared to the next best external model.
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Google says it partnered with Artificial Analysis to launch the Multimodal Knowledge Agent (MKA) benchmark, and that "Carbon ranks #2 while being more than 6X lower in average cost per task compared to the top performing model."
citewe partnered with Artificial Analysis to launch the new Multimodal Knowledge Agent (MKA) benchmark that tests a model’s multimodal performance in agentic workflows. Carbon ranks #2 while being more than 6X lower in average cost per task compared to the top performing model.
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Google says that in simulated cyberattack testing seeded with ExploitBench and CyScenarioBench, "Carbon blocked 99% of attack trajectories from our adaptive red-teaming agent", and that its safeguards "lowered the per-attempt breach rate to just 0.8% (down from 3.1% on Argon)". This is Google's own testing.
citeIn simulated cyberattack testing environments seeded with ExploitBench and CyScenarioBench, Carbon blocked 99% of attack trajectories from our adaptive red-teaming agent that can iteratively revisit its attack plans after each block. The Carbon safeguards lowered the per-attempt breach rate to just 0.8% (down from 3.1% on Argon).
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Google says Gemini 4 Carbon is available via the API in Google AI Studio and Gemini for business for all paying developers and enterprises, and is rolling out to all Google AI Ultra subscribers in Google Antigravity, the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search.
citeGemini 4 Carbon is available via the API in Google AI Studio and Gemini for business for all paying developers and enterprises, at the same introductory price 1 as Gemini 4 Argon ($2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens). It is also rolling out to all Google AI Ultra subscribers in Google Antigravity , the Gemini app , and AI Mode in Search .
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Google says scientists and researchers can apply for access to Argon and Carbon via Google Antigravity's highest usage tier free of charge for 6 months, and cybersecurity defenders can apply to the Fairwind Program to get access to Carbon for cyber on a rolling basis.
citeApply for a chance to get access to both Argon and Carbon via Google Antigravity’s highest usage tier free of charge for 6 months (onboarded on a rolling basis), subject to eligibility, capacity, and selection. Apply to join the Fairwind Program to get access to Carbon for cyber on a rolling basis.
-
Google says Carbon is available "at the same introductory price as Gemini 4 Argon ($2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens)". Its footnote says: "After the introductory period expires on November 30, 2026, the price of $4 per 1M input tokens and $20 per 1M output tokens will apply. Applies to the Carbon model intended for public access only."
citeat the same introductory price 1 as Gemini 4 Argon ($2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens) ... After the introductory period expires on November 30, 2026, the price of $4 per 1M input tokens and $20 per 1M output tokens will apply. Applies to the Carbon model intended for public access only.
-
Google says it is "previewing /swarm in Google Antigravity, turning a single prompt into a coordinated team of agents you can track in real time."
citewe’re previewing /swarm in Google Antigravity, turning a single prompt into a coordinated team of agents you can track in real time.
Every sentence above is checked against this source. Each fact has its own address you can cite.
Source 1 · Google DeepMind · 10 Nov 2026
Gemini 4 Carbon is now available (10 Nov 2026)
Google DeepMind's post of 10 November 2026, by Koray Kavukcuoglu (SVP, Google DeepMind and Chief AI Architect, Google), says: "Today, we're making Gemini 4 Carbon available to developers, enterprises, scientists, and consumers." It adds: "Two weeks ago, we released Carbon to a set of cybersecurity defenders via our Fairwind Program."
Nov 10, 2026 ... Koray Kavukcuoglu SVP, Google DeepMind and Chief AI Architect, Google ... Today, we’re making Gemini 4 Carbon available to developers, enterprises, scientists, and consumers. Two weeks ago , we released Carbon to a set of cybersecurity defenders via our Fairwind Program
Google says Carbon is "built for tasks that test the limits of a model's intelligence like complex, multi-step coding and debugging and open-ended scientific research and discovery — using more tokens than Argon to explore thoroughly, reason deeply, and run extended verification loops", and that "Argon remains the ideal choice for the majority of software engineering and knowledge work".
Argon remains the ideal choice for the majority of software engineering and knowledge work, while Carbon is built for tasks that test the limits of a model’s intelligence like complex, multi-step coding and debugging and open-ended scientific research and discovery — using more tokens than Argon to explore thoroughly, reason deeply, and run extended verification loops.
Google says Carbon "ranks #1 on CursorBench 4.0, Perplexity's WANDR, and Zapier's AutomationBench at more than 2X lower cost per task compared to the next best external model." The post names WANDR as Perplexity's and AutomationBench as Zapier's; the ranking is Google's statement.
Toned down to what the source saysIt ranks #1 on CursorBench 4.0 , Perplexity’s WANDR , and Zapier’s AutomationBench at more than 2X lower cost per task compared to the next best external model.
Show all 9 factsShow fewer facts
Google says it partnered with Artificial Analysis to launch the Multimodal Knowledge Agent (MKA) benchmark, and that "Carbon ranks #2 while being more than 6X lower in average cost per task compared to the top performing model."
we partnered with Artificial Analysis to launch the new Multimodal Knowledge Agent (MKA) benchmark that tests a model’s multimodal performance in agentic workflows. Carbon ranks #2 while being more than 6X lower in average cost per task compared to the top performing model.
Google says that in simulated cyberattack testing seeded with ExploitBench and CyScenarioBench, "Carbon blocked 99% of attack trajectories from our adaptive red-teaming agent", and that its safeguards "lowered the per-attempt breach rate to just 0.8% (down from 3.1% on Argon)". This is Google's own testing.
In simulated cyberattack testing environments seeded with ExploitBench and CyScenarioBench, Carbon blocked 99% of attack trajectories from our adaptive red-teaming agent that can iteratively revisit its attack plans after each block. The Carbon safeguards lowered the per-attempt breach rate to just 0.8% (down from 3.1% on Argon).
Google says Gemini 4 Carbon is available via the API in Google AI Studio and Gemini for business for all paying developers and enterprises, and is rolling out to all Google AI Ultra subscribers in Google Antigravity, the Gemini app and AI Mode in Search.
Gemini 4 Carbon is available via the API in Google AI Studio and Gemini for business for all paying developers and enterprises, at the same introductory price 1 as Gemini 4 Argon ($2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens). It is also rolling out to all Google AI Ultra subscribers in Google Antigravity , the Gemini app , and AI Mode in Search .
Google says scientists and researchers can apply for access to Argon and Carbon via Google Antigravity's highest usage tier free of charge for 6 months, and cybersecurity defenders can apply to the Fairwind Program to get access to Carbon for cyber on a rolling basis.
Apply for a chance to get access to both Argon and Carbon via Google Antigravity’s highest usage tier free of charge for 6 months (onboarded on a rolling basis), subject to eligibility, capacity, and selection. Apply to join the Fairwind Program to get access to Carbon for cyber on a rolling basis.
Google says Carbon is available "at the same introductory price as Gemini 4 Argon ($2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens)". Its footnote says: "After the introductory period expires on November 30, 2026, the price of $4 per 1M input tokens and $20 per 1M output tokens will apply. Applies to the Carbon model intended for public access only."
at the same introductory price 1 as Gemini 4 Argon ($2 per million input tokens and $10 per million output tokens) ... After the introductory period expires on November 30, 2026, the price of $4 per 1M input tokens and $20 per 1M output tokens will apply. Applies to the Carbon model intended for public access only.
Google says it is "previewing /swarm in Google Antigravity, turning a single prompt into a coordinated team of agents you can track in real time."
we’re previewing /swarm in Google Antigravity, turning a single prompt into a coordinated team of agents you can track in real time.
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