Sam Altman admits Google would’ve smashed OpenAI during ChatGPT code red

Sam Altman has opened up about the intense competition with Google and the so-called “code red” at OpenAI.

During a recent appearance on the Big Technology Podcast with Alex Kantrowitz, Altman called Google “a huge threat” and admitted that if the tech giant had fully focused on OpenAI in 2023, the startup could have been in serious trouble. 

“I think they would have just been able to smash us,” he said, adding that Google’s AI efforts at the time were not fully aligned with the challenge.

The OpenAI CEO explained that “code reds” are common within the company and serve as an urgent call to act quickly when a competitive threat arises. 

“My guess is we'll be doing these once, maybe twice a year for a long time, to make sure we win in our space,” he said.

Earlier this month, Altman initiated a “code red” to improve ChatGPT, pausing other planned initiatives like AI-powered shopping tools, ads, and the personal assistant ChatGPT Pulse. 

The decision came after Google’s Gemini 3 AI model overtook ChatGPT in popularity, with active users rising from 450 million in July to 650 million in October.

Altman also highlighted Google’s strong business model and noted that simply adding AI features to existing products, like search or messaging, is less effective than designing AI-first products.