Google intensified the AI competition by unveiling the Gemini 3 Pro. The company stated that it redefined the state of the art. Google suggested that the model represents a clear improvement over Gemini 2.5 Pro and is a viable competitor against ChatGPT and Claude. Google also noted that the Gemini 3 Pro performed excellently in coding, math, reasoning, and long-form questioning.
The new model quickly became the number one ranked model on the LMArena leaderboard for text tasks, surpassing Grok 4.1 Thinking, Grok 4.1, Claude Sonnet 4.5, and GPT-5.1. Google subsequently diagrammed several of Gemini 3 Pros’ performance gains, mentioning that on MathArena Apex, it scored a striking 23.4 percent while its most competitive peers only scored single digits in comparison.
The new model was not without flaws, because in selective coding benchmarks the Gemini 3 Pro continued to fall short as against Claude and GPT-5.1. For instance, on SWE-Bench Verified the Gemini 3 Pro ranked number three. Despite this, Google maintained an optimistic tone framed as though it was the most effective product to date.
xAI replies with Grok 4.1
In the meantime, xAI released Grok 4.1, pushing Google out of the number one slot on several main competitive rating lists. The update was released after a quiet slow rollout of about two weeks on Grok itself, plus X and the mobile app.
Grok 4.1 launched, and analysts were surprised to see it climb to the top after launching.
On LMArena, Grok 4.1 Thinking took the number one slot for text reasoning. Grok 4.1 immediately trailed into the number two position.
The model exhibited these same results on EQ Bench. Grok 4.1 Thinking took the number one slot with Legos-style improvements in emotional intelligence and empathy. Grok 4.1 was in second position, while both Gemini 2.5 Pro and GPT-5.1 lagged behind it.
The model also captured the top tiering for creative writing, reinforcing xAI’s claims that Grok had better coherence and personality stability than before.
Grok’s Transformational Decrease in Hallucinations
Grok 4.1 introduced big improvements to factual accuracy. xAI reported a 4.22 percent hallucination rate with Grok 4.1. The previous version had a hallucination rate of 12.09 percent.
The new model achieved a score of 2.97 percent on FactScore. This was also a big decrease from Grok 4.0’s hallucination score of 9.89 percent. These improvements resulted in conversations that feel more fluent and human-like. xAI claimed that users would find themselves with a more polite, empathetic, and stable assistant.
The Industry Race Broadens
Both companies launched their models during a busy release time. OpenAI released GPT-5.1 just days earlier. Google was preparing for several new launches in its Gemini 3 series. In this quick-moving theater, Grok 4.1 broke command attention with its historic benchmarking performance.
Elon Musk followed up by stating that Grok 5 would come out in early 2026. He called Grok 5 “crushingly good,” and anticipates a “big push forward”
Also read: Firefox AI Window: Mozilla Challenges Chrome With New AI Browsing Mode
A New Phase in the AI Arms Race
Gemini 3 Pro and Grok 4.1 are now fighting for the best in several categories. Google is clearly ahead in math and very complex screen understanding. xAI is ahead in emotional intelligence, in text reasoning. Both companies continue to push essential limits as the global race in AI picks up speed.
Both models display how quickly leadership can turn in AI. As the competition continues to ramp, users stand at the center of what has not been seen before in the world of AI innovation.
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