Google isn’t releasing its next big AI model yet, drawing groans at its I/O conference

• Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that Gemini 3.5 Pro will launch next month.
• Google I/O 2026 attendees groaned at the model coming out later than they’d expected.
• Google unveiled other products, including Spark and Gemini 3.5 Flash AI models, at I/O.

Gemini 3.5 Pro isn’t coming out yet, disappointing the crowd at Google’s packed flagship developer conference I/O on Tuesday.

“I know you can’t wait to get your hands on it,” CEO Sundar Pichai said onstage. “Give us until next month to get it to you.”

Many had expected 3.5 Pro to come out at I/O, since it’s the most powerful model in the works from the tech giant.

Pichai didn’t explain why the chatbot will launch later than expected, although he did say that it’s already “showing great improvements” compared to previous versions.

Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The industry is closely watching the release of 3.5 Pro, especially after Google’s last big AI model, Gemini 3, outperformed expectations. Google’s stock has been on a tear lately as its AI models and chips perform strongly.

Google made other announcements at I/O on Tuesday. For example, it launched Spark, an AI agent that can run without keeping your laptop open. Google also released Gemini 3.5 Flash, an AI model optimized for AI agents.