OpenAI’s now-famous internal state of alert — known as “code red” — is far from being an isolated event within the organization. In fact, Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman recently explained during an interview on the “Big Technology Podcast,” released on Thursday, that the company has shifted into this emergency operational mode on several occasions. Each instance, he clarified, has been triggered by mounting competitive pressures, especially as rival firms in the artificial intelligence sector continue advancing at an exceptional pace. Altman noted that this readiness to enter crisis-response mode has essentially become institutionalized within OpenAI’s culture, and he fully anticipates that the practice will persist as new challenges emerge and competitors narrow the technological gap.
Altman elaborated that cultivating a certain degree of watchful paranoia can be healthy, even essential, in a rapidly evolving field like artificial intelligence. According to him, maintaining the ability to act decisively and without hesitation when a potential competitive threat becomes apparent is a core component of OpenAI’s long-term survival strategy. “It’s good to be paranoid and act quickly when a potential competitive threat emerges,” he remarked, emphasizing that this mindset is less about fear and more about preparedness. He went on to predict that such “code red” occurrences could become semi-regular events — perhaps once or twice every year — as part of the company’s disciplined effort to ensure dominance and continued relevance in the global AI marketplace.
One of the most prominent recent examples occurred earlier in the year when OpenAI entered a “code red” phase following the rise of DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence venture that sent tremors through the tech industry in January. DeepSeek’s claim that its AI model achieved outputs comparable to top-tier systems such as ChatGPT’s o1 — yet at a drastically reduced operational cost — caught the attention of the entire sector. This assertion posed a direct challenge to OpenAI’s position at the forefront of generative AI, illustrating how innovation from new entrants can disrupt even the most established technology leaders.
More recently, the company initiated another “code red” approximately two weeks after Google released its newest large language model, Gemini 3. Following its November debut, Gemini 3 was widely praised for its advanced capabilities and for being Google’s most sophisticated AI model to date. In response, Altman reportedly communicated through an internal Slack message that OpenAI would temporarily realign its priorities, directing resources and attention toward optimizing ChatGPT while postponing or scaling back other planned product developments. This measured yet urgent shift underscored the company’s determination to respond dynamically when external advancements threaten its leadership position.
During the same podcast, Altman addressed the competitive implications of Google’s move. He noted that while Gemini 3 did not ultimately have the overwhelming impact that OpenAI had initially feared, it nonetheless served as a valuable diagnostic moment. Much like DeepSeek’s earlier challenge, Google’s progress exposed specific limitations or vulnerabilities within OpenAI’s existing product strategy. As Altman explained, such moments of external pressure act as catalysts for internal improvement, compelling the company to refine its priorities and bolster its innovation pipeline without delay.
In the wake of this latest “code red,” OpenAI accelerated efforts to enhance and expand its offerings. Within weeks, the company released a more advanced version of its core model designed to enhance ChatGPT’s functionality in professional, technical, and scientific contexts — areas that demand both precision and reliability. Shortly thereafter, OpenAI also introduced an upgraded image-generation system that broadened the organization’s creative and multimodal capabilities.
Altman reassured listeners that although the company currently remains in this heightened state of focus, such periods of operational intensity are typically short-lived. Historically, OpenAI’s “code red” phases have lasted roughly six to eight weeks — long enough to realign priorities, implement strategic updates, and regain competitive momentum. Once the immediate threat is neutralized and progress reestablished, normal operations resume, albeit with new lessons integrated into the corporate framework.
The concept of “code red” is not unique to OpenAI. Similar emergency declarations have become part of the broader vocabulary of Silicon Valley’s high-stakes competitive environment. For instance, in 2022, Google itself declared an internal “code red” following the explosive debut of ChatGPT — an event that disrupted the global technology narrative and exposed Google’s lag in launching consumer-facing AI products, despite its deep foundational research in the field. These parallel examples reveal that even industry titans are not immune to sudden strategic pivots when disruptive innovation reshapes the technological landscape. OpenAI’s repeated readiness to enter “code red,” therefore, highlights not only its adaptability but also its acute understanding that in the accelerating race for artificial intelligence supremacy, vigilance and rapid execution are indispensable for survival and success.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-openai-code-red-multiple-times-google-gemini-2025-12
