Alphabet is releasing three new Gemini models on Tuesday, including Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber designed for cybersecurity. The releases aim to show progress across a product pipeline that has faced delays and mounting competition. Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber will initially be available only to governments and trusted partners through a limited-access pilot, addressing Google's cybersecurity gap with Anthropic, which has built an early lead in automated code defense.
Google Launches Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber for Cybersecurity
Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber is designed to detect and patch software vulnerabilities. Google said the specialized model runs at a lower price per token than larger models. The model will initially be available only to governments and trusted partners through a limited-access pilot.
Gemini 3.6 Flash and 3.5 Flash-Lite Reduce Token Costs
Google is launching Gemini 3.6 Flash, which improves coding, multimodal and knowledge-work performance while using up to 17% fewer tokens and costing less per token than the previous model. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is Google's fastest and least expensive model in the 3.5 family, built for high-volume workloads and smaller tasks within larger AI-agent systems. Artificial Analysis data shows Gemini Flash already undercuts comparable models from Anthropic, OpenAI and Chinese rivals on cost. According to the company, Gemini 3.6 Flash is cheaper per task than GPT-5.6 Terra Max, Kimi K3 and Qwen 3.7 Max, while 3.5 Flash-Lite costs a fraction of that.
Google Positions Gemini Against Chinese AI Rivals
The rollout comes on the eve of Alphabet earnings and as Chinese rivals gain momentum. Moonshot AI's Kimi K3 drew enough demand that the company limited new subscriptions and API access because of capacity constraints. Alibaba is teasing Qwen 3.8 Max, which it said trails only Anthropic's Fable 5 in overall performance.
Google Develops Custom Chip for Gemini Efficiency
Google is reportedly developing a specialized chip designed to run Gemini up to 10 times more efficiently, part of a broader push to lower the cost of serving AI. A Google Cloud spokesperson told CNBC in a statement that its teams are "constantly researching and experimenting with new innovations to deliver maximum performance and efficiency for our users and customers." The spokesperson added that "while not every project moves into production, this rigorous exploration is central to our full stack approach." The company stated that by co-designing hardware and software from the ground up, it ensures systems are integrated and highly optimized for real-world workloads.
Google Tests Gemini 3.5 Pro and Begins Gemini 4 Pre-Training
Google is offering more visibility into its roadmap after questions about delays. Gemini 3.5 Pro is now being tested with partners ahead of broader availability. The company has begun its largest-ever pre-training run for Gemini 4.
FAQ
What new Gemini models did Google release on Tuesday?
Google released three new Gemini models on Tuesday: Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber for cybersecurity, Gemini 3.6 Flash with improved performance and lower token costs, and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite as the fastest and least expensive model in the 3.5 family.
How does Gemini 3.6 Flash improve on the previous model?
Gemini 3.6 Flash improves coding, multimodal and knowledge-work performance while using up to 17% fewer tokens and costing less per token than the previous model.
What is Google doing to improve Gemini efficiency?
Google is reportedly developing a specialized chip designed to run Gemini up to 10 times more efficiently as part of a broader push to lower the cost of serving AI.
