OpenAI is accelerating GPT-5.2’s launch to December 9, a swift response to Google’s Gemini 3, which has set new industry benchmarks. CEO Sam Altman’s ‘code red’ directive prioritizes core performance like speed and reliability over new features. This rapid shift highlights the intense AI race, with rivals like Elon Musk also teasing updates.
OpenAI is rushing to release GPT-5.2 as early as December 9, advancing its timeline by weeks after Google’s Gemini 3 model topped industry benchmarks and drew rare praise from competitors including xAI CEOElon Muskand OpenAI’s ownSam Altman. The accelerated launch follows CEO Altman’s “code red” directive earlier this week, marking one of the fastest competitive responses in the AI race.Sources familiar with OpenAI’s plans say the company originally scheduled GPT-5.2 for later in December but moved up the release after Gemini 3’s November launch disrupted the competitive landscape. Internal evaluations reportedly show GPT-5.2 performing ahead of Google’s model, though OpenAI declined to comment on the upcoming release.
The intensity of competition became visible when industry leaders publicly acknowledged Google’s achievement.Musk congratulated Google CEO Sundar Pichai and DeepMind chief Demis Hassabis despite watching his own Grok 4.1 model lose its top leaderboard ranking after just one day. Musk quickly signaled his response, teasing the release of Grok 4.20. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, joined the chorus, calling Gemini 3 “a great model” in a rare public acknowledgment of a rival’s success.Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff went further, announcing he was abandoning ChatGPT after three years of daily use.Benioff declared the switch permanent, stating the improvements in reasoning, speed, and multimedia handling made it feel like “the world just changed, again.”Altman’s code red represents more than a faster release schedule. The directive instructed teams to prioritize improvements to ChatGPT’s core performance—speed, reliability, and customization—over new feature development. The strategic pivot reflects how quickly the competitive landscape has shifted, with companies now forced to respond to rivals within weeks rather than the months-long cycles that previously defined major AI releases.However, OpenAI’s December 9 target date remains tentative. The company has historically adjusted launch schedules based on technical challenges, server capacity constraints, and competitive pressures, meaning GPT-5.2 could still arrive later than planned.
