In response to mounting competition from tech giants Google and Anthropic, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman has declared a “code red” situation, urging his team to act swiftly. According to insiders, OpenAI is gearing up to counter Google’s recent Gemini 3 release with its forthcoming GPT-5.2 update.

Sources indicate that GPT-5.2 is primed for launch and could be unveiled as soon as next week. This update is expected to bridge the gap left by Google’s Gemini 3, a model that has not only climbed to the top of performance charts but also impressed notable figures like Sam Altman and xAI CEO Elon Musk.

Reports from The Information earlier this week suggest that, according to Altman, OpenAI’s upcoming reasoning model has already surpassed Google’s Gemini 3 in internal assessments.

Initially, OpenAI planned to debut GPT-5.2 later in December. However, escalating pressure from competitors has accelerated the timeline, with December 9th now earmarked for its release.

Efforts to obtain comments from OpenAI regarding GPT-5.2 were unsuccessful as they did not respond before this article’s publication.

As I previously mentioned when announcing the launch of GPT-5 in August, OpenAI often adjusts its release schedules in response to development hurdles, server capacity constraints, or unexpected announcements from rival AI models. Consequently, the anticipated release of GPT-5.2 on December 9th might be subject to change if any such issues arise.

Either way, expect to also see ChatGPT evolve in meaningful ways in the coming months, as OpenAI shifts its focus away from flashy new features and toward improving the chatbot’s speed, reliability, and customizability. Altman has declared this code red to improve ChatGPT, and the release of GPT-5.2 is just the start.