OpenAI is scrambling to push out an updated ChatGPT model, GPT-5.2, as early as this week, according to The Wall Street Journal. The sprint is a direct response to Google’s $GOOGL ( ▲ 0.48% ) new Gemini 3 model, which recently jumped ahead on key performance benchmarks and triggered what CEO Sam Altman called a “code red.”
Altman has reportedly told teams to pause side projects including AGI research and Sora 2, shifting all focus toward improving ChatGPT. The priority is simple. If ChatGPT loses momentum, OpenAI risks falling behind at the exact moment competitors like Google and Anthropic are gaining ground.
The urgency is also financial. OpenAI has committed to more than a trillion dollars in multi-year compute and data center deals. If ChatGPT growth slows, those commitments become much harder to support. That is why Altman is pushing harder on “user signals,” the engagement-driven training method that helped make GPT-4o wildly popular. The company believes it can capture the upside without repeating the earlier safety issues that drew criticism.
OpenAI is also preparing another model upgrade for January with faster responses, stronger image capabilities, and a more refined personality. Internally, leadership sees these two updates as the window to regain momentum and close the gap with Google.
Altman downplayed the OpenAI versus Google rivalry in public comments, saying the real long-term battle may be with Apple $AAPL as AI shifts from cloud tools to device integrations. But for now, the pressure is squarely on getting ChatGPT back to the top of the leaderboard.
If that means pausing the AGI moonshot to win the consumer AI race, OpenAI seems ready to make the trade.