Google DeepMind launches Genie 4 world model as a research preview

Google DeepMind has announced Genie 4, a world model it says can run real-time interactive simulations with native audio, including ambient sound and interactive dialogue, and can be steered with natural language. It says Gemini Omni anchors appearance and behaviour while other Gemini models help keep scenes coherent, and Gemini 3.8 Flash can act as a guiding agent that breaks goals into steps. Genie 4 is rolling out as a research preview to trusted testers first, then to Google AI Ultra subscribers in Project Genie and early access partners of the Gemini API and Google AI Studio. DeepMind calls it early and experimental, noting drift in object permanence and other limits over longer sessions, and says outputs will carry SynthID watermarks.