Google launches cheap AI model to hunt and patch security bugs

Google introduced Gemini 3.5 Flash Cyber, a lightweight cybersecurity model built on Gemini 3.5 Flash that finds and patches software vulnerabilities. It will roll out first to governments and trusted partners through CodeMender, Google's security-focused coding agent, which can call the model repeatedly at low cost. Google positions it as a cheaper alternative to larger security-focused models such as Anthropic's Mythos.

Why it matters: This is Google directly countering Anthropic's Mythos in the emerging niche of AI-for-defensive-security, betting that cheap, high-volume model calls beat one large expensive model for vulnerability hunting. Restricting initial access to governments and trusted partners suggests both companies still treat this class of tool as dual-use, even as they race to ship it.