OpenAI says GPT‑5.2 will debut next week, ahead of Google’s Gemini 3 in internal tests
OpenAI is pulling the plug on its year‑end rollout plan and moving GPT‑5.2 up to next week. The shift comes as the company feels the heat from rival labs that have been teasing their own upgrades. Internally, engineers have been benchmarking the new reasoning model against Google’s upcoming Gemini 3, a system that has been positioned as the next big step in large‑language‑model performance.
Sources say the data are tipping in OpenAI’s favor, prompting CEO Sam Altman to fast‑track the release. The original schedule slated the debut for later in December, but the competitive scramble appears to have forced a change of course. This acceleration not only tightens the timeline for developers waiting on the new API, it also signals how quickly the two AI powerhouses are trying to outpace each other in the race for more capable, reliable models.
The Information reported earlier this week that OpenAI's next reasoning model is "ahead of [Google's] Gemini 3" in OpenAI's internal evaluations, according to Altman. I'm told that OpenAI was originally planning to launch GPT‑5.2 later in December, but that the pressure from competitors has moved th
The Information reported earlier this week that OpenAI's next reasoning model is "ahead of [Google's] Gemini 3" in OpenAI's internal evaluations, according to Altman. I'm told that OpenAI was originally planning to launch GPT-5.2 later in December, but that the pressure from competitors has moved the release forward. Right now, OpenAI has earmarked December 9th for its GPT-5.2 release.
I reached out to OpenAI to comment on GPT-5.2, but the company didn't respond in time for publication. As I said when I revealed GPT-5 was launching in August, OpenAI's planned release dates often shift to respond to development challenges, server capacity issues, or even rival AI model announcements and leaks.
Will GPT‑5.2 deliver what OpenAI promises? The company says the update will roll out next week, a week earlier than the December window originally slated. Altman’s “code red” warning has clearly accelerated the timeline, pushing engineers into a rapid response mode.
Sources familiar with the plan describe GPT‑5.2 as OpenAI’s first formal answer to Google’s Gemini 3, which internal tests suggest is already in development. According to internal evaluations cited by The Information, OpenAI believes its next reasoning model now sits ahead of Gemini 3. Yet the claim rests on internal benchmarks, and external verification is still lacking.
The shift in schedule underscores how intensely the two firms are watching each other’s moves. Whether the accelerated launch will translate into measurable gains for users remains uncertain. OpenAI hasn't disclosed specific performance metrics, and the broader impact on the market is unclear.
For now, the upcoming release is the most concrete indicator of how the rivalry is shaping product timelines.
Further Reading
- Papers with Code - Latest NLP Research - Papers with Code
- Hugging Face Daily Papers - Hugging Face
- ArXiv CS.CL (Computation and Language) - ArXiv
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Common Questions Answered
When is OpenAI planning to release GPT‑5.2 according to the article?
OpenAI has earmarked December 9th for the GPT‑5.2 release, moving it up to next week. The date was originally set for the end of December but was accelerated due to competitive pressure.
How does OpenAI's internal evaluation compare GPT‑5.2 to Google's Gemini 3?
Internal benchmarks indicate that GPT‑5.2 is ahead of Google’s upcoming Gemini 3 in reasoning performance. Sources cited by The Information say the data are tipping in OpenAI’s favor, suggesting a performance edge.
What factors caused OpenAI to fast‑track the GPT‑5.2 rollout?
OpenAI accelerated the launch because rival labs were teasing upgrades and internal "code red" warnings heightened urgency. The competitive heat prompted CEO Sam Altman to move the release forward by several weeks.
What did CEO Sam Altman say about the timing and competitiveness of GPT‑5.2?
Altman noted that internal evaluations show GPT‑5.2 ahead of Gemini 3, prompting a faster release schedule. He emphasized that the pressure from competitors forced OpenAI to shift the rollout from the original December window.