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OpenAI Embraces Recurring 'Code Red' to Refocus on ChatGPT and AI‑Native Personalization

Altman describes eight‑week sprints as a way to answer Gemini 3 by concentrating engineering on core quality while sidelining monetization experiments.

Overview

  • Altman said OpenAI has entered emergency “code red” phases multiple times and expects to do so once or twice a year to respond quickly to competitive threats.
  • The latest code red followed Google’s Gemini 3 release and redirected teams to boost ChatGPT performance for roughly six to eight weeks, pausing ads, agents, and e‑commerce efforts.
  • OpenAI shipped a more capable GPT‑5.2 for professional tasks and a new image‑generation model, with reporting noting faster, more precise image outputs.
  • Altman called Google “a huge threat” and said both Gemini 3 and China’s DeepSeek exposed weaknesses in OpenAI’s product strategy that the company is addressing.
  • He outlined a push toward deep, persistent user memory to make AI‑native experiences stickier, while acknowledging privacy trade‑offs and signaling IPO and fundraising plans even as he says he is “0%” excited to run a public company.