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WSJ Reports 'Code Red' at OpenAI Due to Competitor Gains and Financial Strain
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 at 11:12 AM
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that OpenAI is experiencing slowed growth and losing market share to rivals, which has raised concerns that the company may not be able to fulfill its massive computing contract obligations and maintain long-term financial stability.
Context
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly declared a "code red" internally, directing the company to prioritize improving ChatGPT and delay other projects. This move comes amidst intensifying competition, particularly from Google's Gemini and Anthropic, which are rapidly gaining market share. The internal memo highlights the serious challenge OpenAI faces in maintaining its lead in the AI race.
Competitor traction is notable, with Google's Gemini seeing its monthly active users surge from 450 million in July to 650 million by October. While OpenAI still boasts 800 million weekly active users for ChatGPT, the rapid growth of rivals poses a significant threat. OpenAI projects nearly $10 billion in ChatGPT revenue this year, but this growth is critical given its substantial financial commitments.
The company is committed to hundreds of billions of dollars in future data-center investments and aims to raise roughly $100 billion more. This capital intensity raises investor concerns about the timeline to monetize these investments and the financial strain if growth slows. The "code red" underscores the pressure on OpenAI to deliver on its ambitious financial targets amid a highly competitive landscape.
Sources (9)
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