RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Google employees are testing Gemini 3.8 Flash.
A preview version of the model has surfaced internally, suggesting a public launch may be imminent.
Google has fallen off the frontier, but is trying to win with faster, cheaper models.
Google just released a new AI model this month. Its employees are already testing the next one.
Some staff have begun using a preview version of Gemini 3.8 Flash, highlighting the breakneck pace of the AI race as Google pushes out new models just weeks apart to keep up with OpenAI and Anthropic.
The new model — dubbed "Gemini 3.8 Flash Preview" — was made available to staff on Google's internal coding platform, Jetski, according to images Business Insider obtained.
One employee testing the new model said it already felt noticeably better than 3.7 Flash, but emphasized it was too early for a full review.
Google declined to comment.
With 3.5 Pro still missing and Anthropic and OpenAI sprinting ahead in the AI race, Google no longer has a frontier model. Instead, it has doubled down on its "Flash" models, which offer greater speed and lower costs for users, at a time when customers are keeping a closer eye on their AI bill.
Google refers to these models as its "workhorse models" for coding and running agents, which often consume tokens faster than chatbots. Agentic assistants designed to help with everyday tasks are proving to be the next hot thing among the AI companies. Google launched its Gemini Spark agent earlier this year, and Meta is testing its "Hatch" agent internally .
Google has been improving its Flash models at a rapid clip. Gemini 3.6 Flash rolled out in July, and 3.7 Flash followed just three weeks later. During the company's Q2 earnings call, CEO Sundar Pichai said the company would aim for an almost monthly release cadence.
The employee preview suggests a public rollout of Gemini 3.8 Flash may not be far away, but it's not a guarantee.
Some keen-eyed AI sleuthers are convinced they have spotted Gemini 3.8 Flash on Arena AI, a website for benchmarking models that Google has previously used to test upcoming releases.
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