OpenAI develops Garlic AI model to compete with Google Gemini 3 and Anthropic Claude Opus 4.5. CEO Sam Altman declares code red as release targets early 2026 amid intense AI race.
Key Highlights
- OpenAI develops Garlic to regain lead after Google’s Gemini 3 advances
- Garlic tops internal benchmarks in coding and reasoning tasks
- Smarter pretraining tweaks make smaller models perform like giants
- Separate from earlier Shallotpeat project fixing training flaws
- Possible release in early 2026 amid fierce AI competition
OpenAI is working on a powerful new AI model called Garlic that could reshape the ongoing battle in artificial intelligence. The company aims to challenge Google’s recent success with Gemini 3 and compete directly with Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.5, particularly in coding and reasoning tasks.
What Makes the Garlic AI Model Different?
The Garlic model represents a major shift in how OpenAI approaches AI development. Chief Research Officer Mark Chen recently told colleagues that the model performs exceptionally well in company evaluations compared to competitors. The key difference lies in improved pretraining techniques that allow smaller models to match the performance of larger ones at lower costs.
OpenAI is developing the Garlic model with advanced pretraining methods that could reduce computational expenses while maintaining high performance levels.
When Will OpenAI Release the Garlic Model?
According to industry reports, OpenAI plans to launch Garlic as soon as possible. The company eyes a release potentially labeled as GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.5 by early 2026. This timeline comes as CEO Sam Altman recently declared a company-wide code red to improve ChatGPT quality.
Why Did Sam Altman Declare Code Red?
Altman’s urgent memo to employees signals the growing pressure from competitors. Google’s Gemini 3 release in November received widespread praise and topped industry benchmarks. The code red effort means OpenAI is delaying work on advertising, health and shopping AI agents, and its Pulse personal assistant to focus resources on improving ChatGPT.
The company faces significant challenges. While ChatGPT maintains over 800 million weekly users, Google’s Gemini app has reached 650 million monthly active users. Anthropic’s recent Claude releases have also gained traction among enterprise customers.
How Does Garlic Compare to Current Models?
Internal testing shows Garlic outperforms both Google’s Gemini 3 and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.5 in specific areas. The model excels in coding tasks and reasoning challenges. Unlike the separate Shallotpeat project, Garlic focuses on efficiency gains through smarter pretraining approaches rather than simply scaling up model size.
What Does This Mean for the AI Race?
The competition between OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic continues to intensify. OpenAI projects revenue growth from $13 billion in 2025 to $200 billion by 2030, but maintaining market leadership requires constant innovation. The company has committed over $1.4 trillion to AI infrastructure development over the next eight years.
Nick Turley, head of ChatGPT at OpenAI, confirmed the company’s renewed focus on making the chatbot more capable, intuitive, and personal. The Garlic model could play a crucial role in this strategy as OpenAI works to maintain its position as a leader in artificial intelligence development.
Cody Scott
Cody Scott is a passionate content writer at AISEOToolsHub and an AI News Expert, dedicated to exploring the latest advancements in artificial intelligence. He specializes in providing up-to-date insights on new AI tools and technologies while sharing his personal experiences and practical tips for leveraging AI in content creation and digital marketing
