Google’s new Gemini Pro model has record benchmark scores—again - TechCrunch
Quick Answer
Google's Gemini 3.1 Pro, the latest LLM, showcases record benchmark scores, outperforming its predecessor Gemini 3.
Quick Take
Independent tests, including and APEX, confirm its superior performance, marking a significant advancement in AI capabilities amidst increasing competition from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.
Key Points
- Gemini 3.1 Pro is currently in preview and will be released widely soon.
- The model significantly outperforms its predecessor, Gemini 3, launched in November.
- Brendan Foody, CEO of Mercor, praises Gemini 3.1 Pro as top of the APEX-Agents leaderboard.
- The AI model wars are intensifying with releases from major companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.
📖 Reader Mode
~2 min readIn Brief
Posted:

On Thursday, Google released the newest version of Gemini Pro, its powerful LLM. The model, 3.1, is currently available as a preview and will be generally released soon, the company said.
Google’s new model may be one of the most powerful LLMs yet. Onlookers have noted that Gemini 3.1 Pro appears to be a big step up from its predecessor, Gemini 3 — which, upon its release in November, was already considered a highly capable AI tool.
On Thursday, Google also shared statistics from independent benchmarks — such as one called Humanity’s Last Exam — that showed it performing significantly better than its previous version.
Gemini 3.1 Pro was also praised by Brendan Foody, the CEO of AI startup Mercor, whose benchmarking system, APEX, is designed to measure how well new AI models perform real professional tasks. “Gemini 3.1 Pro is now at the top of the APEX-Agents leaderboard,” Foody said in a social media post, adding that the model’s impressive results show “how quickly agents are improving at real knowledge work.”
The release comes as the AI model wars are heating up, and tech companies continue to release increasingly powerful LLMs designed for agentic work and multi-step reasoning. Other major names — including OpenAI and Anthropic — have recently released new models as well.
Topics
Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news
Latest in AI
— Originally published at techcrunch.com
Want this in your inbox every morning?
Daily brief at your local 8am — bilingual EN/中文, free.
More from WebSearch (Tavily)
See more →全球AI芯片峰会,9月上海见!
The 2026 Global AI Chip Summit will take place in Shanghai on September 22-23, focusing on the evolving AI chip landscape, including the shift from training to inference, the rise of diverse chip technologies, and the restructuring of industry competition. Notable speakers include experts from leading universities and companies, discussing advancements in AI chip architecture and applications.