Google is letting staff test a 'fast' new Gemini AI model named Hydrogen

• Google has been testing what it calls a "fast" Gemini 4 Flash model internally, named Hydrogen.
• The company just launched Carbon, which it says is its most capable model yet.
• Google offers other Flash models for free in its Gemini app.

Google's Gemini 4 era is fully in its element.

Following the release of its Gemini 4 Argon and Carbon models, Google has been internally testing a new model that is designed for speed and efficiency. The new model is known internally as Hydrogen, according to an internal message seen by Business Insider.

In a message to staff this week, a Google engineer described Hydrogen as "very capable, fast and efficient." Staff were given access to Hydrogen in Google's internal development platform, known as Jetski, which often pre-empts a public launch.

An employee who has used Hydrogen described it to Business Insider as akin to Google's previous Flash models, which are positioned as workhorse models designed to be faster and more cost-effective than models like Argon. As the lightest element in the periodic table, Hydrogen would be a fitting name.

After Google delayed and then ultimately canceled the release of Gemini 3.5 Pro earlier this year, many considered the company to have fallen behind in the race for the most advanced AI models, known as the frontier.

Google has since roared back to life with the launch of its Gemini 4 family. On Tuesday, it announced the rollout of its latest frontier model, Gemini 4 Carbon, which it says is strongest for cybersecurity and long-horizon tasks that require multiple steps. However, both Carbon and Argon are currently limited to paying users.

It's not immediately clear whether Hydrogen, if released, would be a paid or free offering. Google offers other Flash models for free in its Gemini app.

It also comes as competition between the top AI companies continues heating up. On Monday, Anthropic announced new models in its Fable and Mythos lines that it said were more capable at finding cybersecurity flaws and designing physical hardware.

Google declined to comment on the record.

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