Google’s Gemini forces OpenAI CEO Sam Altman send ‘Code Red’ warning to employees, two years after ChatGPT did same to Google

Three years after ChatGPT’s explosive debut sent Google into panic mode, the tables have turned spectacularly. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared an internal “code red” emergency, ordering employees to halt work on advertising and revenue-generating features to fix ChatGPT’s deteriorating competitive position as Google’s Gemini 3 model surges ahead on performance benchmarks, user engagement, and market share—a reversal that threatens the $500 billion startup’s future while vindicating Google’s patient, infrastructure-heavy approach to artificial intelligence.

OpenAI is abandoning plans to introduce advertising, AI shopping assistants, health agents, and its Pulse personal assistant, according to internal memos obtained by The Wall Street Journal and The Information.