Sam Altman warns Google remains huge threat as OpenAI braces for Code Red alerts twice yearly

Sam Altman says Google is 'still a huge threat' and ChatGPT will be declaring code red 'maybe twice a year for a long time'

Despite billions of dollars in investment and backing from tech titans like Nvidia and even the likes of the UK government, the mighty force of Google still seemingly scares OpenAI, or at least that's according to CEO Sam Altman. Recently, Altman took to Alex Kantrowitz's podcast, Big Technology, to talk about the AI company. The backdrop of this conversation between Sam Altman and Alek Kantrowitz is the 'code red' alert that Altman recently declared in response to Google's Gemini 3. OpenAI has had the lead for some time, yet Google's rapid improvement has seemingly worried the top dog of OpenAI. This is so important to the conversation that, barring introductions, it's actually how Kantrowitz sets up the conversation. Altman says that code reds are actually quite common for the company. He says, "I think that it's good to be paranoid and act quickly when a potential competitive threat emerges". He also states, "My guess is we'll be doing these once maybe twice a year for a long time, and that's part of really just making sure that we win in our space". In fact, he argues that Google had a code red-style crisis on its hands when OpenAI launched ChatGPT, but didn't take OpenAI seriously enough to register it. "I think Google is still a huge threat, you know. Extremely powerful company." Altman tells Kantrowitz that there was a code red when DeepSeek broke out onto the AI ecene early this year, too. He says, "Everyone's doing code reds out here". Part of what Altman gestures at in this conversation is the idea that some may become loyal to certain companies, meaning one can lose out not only in technological but brand identity. "I think people really want to use one AI platform. People use their phone at their personal life and they want to use the same kind of phone at work most of the time. We're seeing the same thing with AI." However, Altman also gestures at the problems that come with making a single AI the only one you use. He says that personalisation is an "extremely sticky" thing right now. He says, oftentimes, users have "one magical experience with ChatGPT", and that becomes their main bot. "Healthcare is a famous example where people put... a blood test into ChatGPT or put the symptoms in, and they figure out they have something, and they go to a doctor, and they get cured of something they couldn't figure out before. Those users are very sticky." He argues that, for those who have 'unhealthy' relationships with their AI, "society will over time figure out how to about where people should set that dial, and then people have huge choice and set it in very different places." Though personal freedom is part of the argument Altman makes for how far AI chatbots can develop relationships with users, it is hard not to see why an AI company may not want to cut off arguably some of the most loyal consumers on the market. This is especially true when the competition is fierce, and there are billions of dollars backing everyone in the AI arms race.

Sam Altman Calls Google 'A Huge Threat', Says The Tech Giant Would Have Been Able To 'Smash' OpenAI In 2023 - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, expressed concerns about Google's dominance in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). He believes that Google's immense power and business model could pose a significant threat in the AI space. Altman Warns of Google's AI Power Altman, in a conversation with Alex Kantrowitz on the Big Technology Podcast, highlighted the potential danger that Google's AI capabilities pose. "Google is still a huge threat...you know extremely powerful company," stated Altman. He reflected on the situation in 2023 when Google's AI efforts were not as effective due to their product direction. Altman suggested that if Google had chosen to focus on OpenAI at that time, the latter would have been in a "really bad place." "I think they would have just been able to smash us," stated the OpenAI CEO. Altman also noted that Google's business model is one of the strongest in the tech industry, and he believes that the company will be slow to relinquish it. However, he expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of Google simply integrating AI into existing systems like web search, suggesting that a complete redesign with AI at the forefront would be more successful. See Also: Skanska builds a new City Hall in Franklin, Tennessee, USA, for USD 53M, about SEK 520M AI Shake-Up Puts OpenAI Under Pressure Altman's remarks come amid a rapidly evolving AI landscape. Earlier this month, OpenAI declared a "Code Red" crisis, pausing its monetization strategy to focus on product quality. Meanwhile, Jim Cramer predicted that OpenAI's future could be in jeopardy following Google's advancements in AI technology. The CNBC host had posted, "It was only a matter of time before we heard from OpenAI about how it fell behind, and the rush of tens of millions of users right to Gemini 3 would be upon us." Altman's analysis of Google also comes amid reports that OpenAI was eyeing a potential $1 trillion IPO, with the AI startup in discussions with investors for a $100 billion fundraise at a $750 billion valuation. Price Action: On a year-to-date basis, Google-parent Alphabet's stock climbed 59.34% as per data from Benzinga Pro. On Thursday, it rose 1.91% to close at $303.75. READ NEXT: ChatGPT Just Hit $3 Billion in Consumer Spending -- And It Reached The Milestone Faster Than TikTok And Disney+ Ever Did Image via Shutterstock Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. GOOGAlphabet Inc$305.010.41%OverviewGOOGLAlphabet Inc$303.700.41%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Sam Altman says OpenAI expects more code red as AI race with Google, Anthropic and others heats up

"My guess is we'll be doing these once maybe twice a year for a long time," he said. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says the company expects to enter code red more often as competition in artificial intelligence becomes more intense. Speaking on an episode of the Big Technology Podcast, Altman revealed that the company has entered emergency mode multiple times as a response to competitive threats and plans to continue doing so as rivals close in, reports Business Insider. "It's good to be paranoid and act quickly when a potential competitive threat emerges," Altman said. He added that this approach is not going away anytime soon. "My guess is we'll be doing these once maybe twice a year for a long time, and that's part of really just making sure that we win in our space." Altman said OpenAI first went into code red earlier this year after the rise of China's DeepSeek. The company surprised the tech world in January by saying its AI model could match top systems, including ChatGPT's o1 at a low cost. Also read: Microsoft AI chief warns frontier AI will cost hundreds of billions to keep up More recently, OpenAI entered code red again earlier this month, about two weeks after Google released its newest AI chatbot, Gemini 3. Google launched the model in November and promoted it as its most advanced AI so far. The release drew strong attention and praise, leading OpenAI to shift priorities. Altman reportedly told employees in an internal Slack message that the company would focus more on ChatGPT while delaying other plans. Still, Altman said the impact from Google was smaller than expected. "But it did -- in the same way that Deepseek did -- identify some weaknesses in our product offering strategy, and we're addressing those very quickly," he added. Also read: Google Gemini app can now identify AI-generated videos, here's how Altman said the company will not stay in emergency mode for "that much longer." "Historically, these have been kind of like six- or eight-week things for us," he added. As competition from Google, Anthropic, and others grows, Altman made it clear that code red is now part of OpenAI's long-term playbook.