Google Gemini 2.5 Deep Think Outperforms Grok-4 and OpenAI o3 in AI Benchmarks
Google’s AI game just levelled up. On August 1, 2025, the tech giant rolled out its most advanced AI reasoning model yet—Google Gemini 2.5 Deep Think—and early results are raising eyebrows across the industry. This new model is designed to “think” before it speaks, and that shift in design philosophy is helping it beat major rivals like Grok-4 from xAI and OpenAI o3 on multiple performance fronts.
This isn’t just another upgrade. Google Gemini 2.5 Deep Think introduces something AI developers have long pursued: time to reflect. Unlike models that instantly spit out responses, Deep Think uses what Google calls “parallel thinking”—brainstorming multiple ideas at once, considering outcomes, and choosing the best path forward. The result? Smarter, more accurate, and more creative answers.
Deep Think: Built for Real Reasoning, Not Just Speed
According to Google DeepMind, this model is based on the same core foundation that won the gold standard at this year’s International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). But Gemini 2.5 Deep Think has been tuned to go beyond academic exercises—it’s now more useful for developers, professionals, and everyday users.
It especially shines in complex problem-solving, long-form reasoning, and creative tasks that require a blend of logic and imagination. Whether it’s generating strategic plans, solving math puzzles, or improving website design, Deep Think does it not just fast—but thoughtfully.
This “thinking-before-answering” approach echoes Meta’s Tree of Thoughts technique, but Google claims Deep Think takes it further by leveraging novel reinforcement learning methods that mimic intuitive human reasoning.
How It Performed: Benchmarks That Matter
Let’s talk results.
When benchmarked on LiveCodeBench V6—a tough challenge for AI coding tasks—Google Gemini 2.5 Deep Think outperformed OpenAI o3, Grok-4, and even Gemini 2.5 Pro (its own predecessor). It also ranked higher on Humanity’s Last Exam, a complex reasoning test that evaluates both creativity and step-by-step logic.
Three major skills stood out:
- Creativity: Generating new ideas and diverse outputs across prompts.
- Strategic Planning: Creating structured and forward-thinking solutions.
- Step-by-Step Improvement: Refining answers and adding depth.
In short: this model doesn’t just give one-shot answers. It brainstorms, reviews, and revises—something most current AIs don’t really do.
How You Can Use Gemini 2.5 Deep Think
Right now, Deep Think is available exclusively to Google AI Ultra subscribers inside the Gemini app. Users can activate it by selecting Gemini 2.5 Pro in the dropdown and toggling on Deep Think mode. While there are a limited number of prompts per day, responses are significantly longer, deeper, and more detailed.
The model also integrates seamlessly with Google Search and code execution tools, allowing developers to build and test logic-heavy scripts with higher accuracy.
In the coming weeks, Google says it will release Deep Think to select API testers with and without tools to evaluate performance in real-world enterprise and dev workflows.
Safety, Objectivity & Limitations
Google claims Gemini 2.5 Deep Think has improved on content safety and tone-objectivity compared to Gemini 2.5 Pro. In practice, this means fewer controversial or unsafe outputs. However, there’s a catch—it sometimes refuses benign requests out of caution.
That trade-off—smarter but more selective—shows that as these models become more capable, their alignment with ethical and safe usage is still evolving.
Still, Google appears committed to refining the balance. As Gemini’s reasoning power grows, the company says it will invest further in understanding and mitigating risks tied to deep cognitive models.
Why It Matters
The release of Google Gemini 2.5 Deep Think signals a shift in AI development. We’re no longer talking about tools that just predict the next word. We’re now looking at thinking machines—models designed to pause, reflect, and solve.
In a world where Grok-4 and OpenAI o3 have dominated the headlines, this quiet but powerful launch from Google might mark the beginning of a new era—where speed takes a back seat to smarter reasoning.
Whether you’re a developer, student, creative, or researcher, Google Gemini 2.5 Deep Think could change the way you interact with AI—less like a chatbot, and more like a thought partner.
