Should You Buy Alphabet (GOOGL) Stock Before Gemini 4 Drops?

Quick Summary

• Koray Kavukcuoglu, Google DeepMind’s chief, confirmed Gemini 4 is undergoing post-training and may arrive well ahead of year-end.
• This marks Kavukcuoglu’s inaugural public statement since assuming leadership of DeepMind.
• Google’s most recent flagship release was Gemini 3, which debuted in November 2025.
• Competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic have introduced superior models in the interim, surpassing Gemini 3’s capabilities.
• Alphabet shares declined 3.80% as Meta Platforms gained 1.02% during the same trading session.

Shares of Alphabet (GOOGL) fell 3.80% following investor reactions to fresh details regarding the tech giant’s upcoming AI offering. In contrast, Meta Platforms (META) experienced a 1.02% uptick on the same day.

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The market movement followed an uncommon public statement from Google DeepMind. Koray Kavukcuoglu, the division’s current leader, indicated that Gemini 4’s arrival is more imminent than market watchers had anticipated.

Speaking at The Information’s AI Agenda Live Summit on Wednesday, Kavukcuoglu made his debut media appearance since ascending to DeepMind’s leadership position.

According to Kavukcuoglu, Gemini 4 has entered the post-training stage—a critical period where foundational models undergo optimization for enhanced consistency and dependability.

“Our goal is to release an early post-training version as quickly as we can because the results we’re seeing are genuinely exciting,” Kavukcuoglu stated. He emphasized that Google intends to “maintain rapid development cycles” following the initial release.

Major Changes in DeepMind Leadership

This announcement arrives on the heels of significant leadership restructuring within DeepMind. Demis Hassabis, the previous AI chief, departed his role in August.

Prior to his exit, Hassabis indicated that “substantial advancements” were underway with Gemini 4. Kavukcuoglu has since inherited this initiative and now controls the messaging around its anticipated debut.

The new chief suggested a timeline “considerably sooner” than late 2026, signaling Google’s intent to accelerate its AI development cadence.

Google Trails Competitors in Model Releases

Gemini 3, which launched in November 2025, represents Google’s latest flagship AI model. In the months since, competing firms have established a performance advantage.

OpenAI introduced GPT-6 shortly thereafter, while Anthropic unveiled its Mythos lineup. Industry assessments suggest both offerings exceed Gemini 3’s performance benchmarks, positioning rivals favorably in the intensifying AI competition.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai had previously addressed these concerns. During May’s I/O conference, he announced a significant Gemini 3.5 Pro enhancement scheduled for June delivery.

That promised upgrade never materialized. On Wednesday, Kavukcuoglu acknowledged the pivot, stating that Google “decided to reassess our approach.”

Rather than delivering Gemini 3.5 Pro, the company redirected resources toward developing compact, high-speed Flash variants—a strategic shift from Pichai’s earlier roadmap.

When questioned about potential competitive disadvantages, Kavukcuoglu responded confidently. “I’m absolutely certain that we will remain at the cutting edge,” he informed The Information.

Simultaneously, Meta has experienced increased adoption of its AI capabilities. The social media giant reported strengthening engagement with its AI offerings throughout September, intensifying competition in an already saturated marketplace.

Gemini 4 remains unavailable to the public. However, Kavukcuoglu’s remarks represent the strongest indication yet of an approaching launch, despite the absence of a firm release date.