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OpenAI CEO declares ‘code red’ to improve ChatGPT as rivals Google, Anthropic move in

The call comes after Google released its Gemini 3 AI model last month that gained praise for its capacity to reason and code

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
Bloomberg
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is redirecting internal resources to speed up improvements to ChatGPT, declaring a “code red” situation that will delay work on other initiatives, according to people familiar with the matter.

Altman on Monday sent an internal memo calling for a “surge” to improve ChatGPT, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified discussing nonpublic information. Altman also called for staff to delay progress on other efforts such as autonomous AI agents and advertising, the Information reported initially, citing the memo.

While Altman did not say exactly what fixes needed to be prioritised and why, the Information said he had recently warned employees that Google’s AI resurgence could cause temporary economic headwinds for OpenAI.

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The report underscores how intense the rivalry among major AI developers has become as the entire industry works to convince Wall Street that the billions of dollars they have invested in the technology will turn a profit.

Alphabet’s Google released the AI model Gemini 3 last month that gained almost immediate praise for its capacity to reason and code, as well as to perform niche tasks that have tripped up AI chatbots.
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OpenAI meanwhile took Google head-on in October by unveiling its first AI-powered web browser.

OpenAI declined to comment on the news of Altman’s memo.

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