Sam Altman Warns OpenAI Staff Of ‘Tough Months Ahead’ As Google And Anthropic Close In

Sam Altman has sent a candid message to OpenAI employees, warning that the next few months could feel unusually intense. In a memo obtained by The Information, he said Google’s latest wave of AI announcements—especially the rollout of Gemini 3.0 across Search, Android, and Workspace—has shifted the competitive landscape. Google’s reach now touches more than 650 million monthly users, giving it the kind of ecosystem leverage few companies can match. Altman also pointed out that Anthropic is moving quickly, especially in coding and enterprise tools, and that rivals are “closing the gap”. Even so, he insisted OpenAI is still moving fast, still well-positioned, and still focused on its long-term mission.

Google’s scale reshapes the race

Altman told employees that Google’s deep, automatic integration of Gemini 3.0 into everyday products gives the company a massive advantage: people use the model constantly without realising it. That level of distribution translates to economic power, user data, and constant product feedback — all of which raise the bar for OpenAI. He acknowledged that competing with Google’s installed base makes the landscape “more demanding and unpredictable” but added that OpenAI’s pace of research remains a structural advantage.

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Anthropic’s momentum adds pressure

The memo also noted Anthropic’s rise. Claude is gaining serious traction in programming tasks and enterprise deployments, prompting OpenAI to accelerate upgrades to its Codex technology. Altman admitted the gap is tightening but said OpenAI’s research speed, technical foundation, and appetite for risk give it a strong edge. Competition, he said, is a sign of a healthy industry.

Short-term financial pressure, long-term confidence

Altman warned that investor sentiment may cool as more players enter the market and expectations recalibrate, calling the moment “temporary economic headwinds”. Still, he said OpenAI is on track for $13 billion in revenue in 2025 and remains well-funded enough to continue scaling research and infrastructure.

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“Superintelligence” remains the core mission

A large portion of OpenAI’s research team is now focused on the company’s long-term goal: reaching superintelligence. Altman admitted that balancing research, product work and infrastructure “s**ks at times” but argued it’s necessary if OpenAI wants to lead the next era of AI. He said the company must simultaneously be the best research lab, the best infrastructure builder, and the best product platform—a difficult position, but one he said he “wouldn’t trade with any other company.”

The bottom line

Google may have fresh momentum, and Anthropic may be climbing, but Altman’s memo makes one thing clear: OpenAI sees the pressure, acknowledges the challenges, and still believes its research engine and innovation pipeline keep it in front—even as the global AI race tightens.