Altman claims a faster response from Google in 2023 could have seriously threatened OpenAI’s position.
He argues Google’s reliance on search and ad revenue slowed its shift to AI-first products.
The comments come as competition heats up again following Google’s Gemini 3 launch.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has again made a big statement about its biggest competitor Google. Altman stated that OpenAI, during its early phase, narrowly avoided being overtaken by Google, suggesting the search giant’s slow reaction to ChatGPT gave the company a critical window to establish itself as a market leader.
SurveySpeaking on Big Technology Podcast with Alex Kantrowitz, Altman talked about the competitive dynamics of 2023, when ChatGPT first gained global traction. He also indicated that OpenAI’s position was far from secure at the time and that a faster, more aggressive response from Google could have altered the outcome of the AI boom.
Altman has also argued that Google’s dominance in search and digital advertising made it harder for the company to fully pivot towards AI-first products. According to him, deeply entrenched revenue models can slow down radical innovation, as companies hesitate to disrupt businesses that already generate enormous profits.
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In his view, simply adding AI features to existing products is not enough to unlock the technology’s potential. Altman stated that meaningful progress will come from rebuilding products from the ground up with AI at their core, rather than treating AI as an add-on. He also stated that incremental upgrades, such as AI-assisted summaries or suggestions, are a future where autonomous AI agents handle tasks independently and surface only essential information to users.
The comments come amid intensifying competition between OpenAI and Google, particularly following the recent launch of Google’s Gemini 3 models. Altman acknowledged that OpenAI periodically enters “high alert” mode when rivals make major advances, though he noted this happens only occasionally.
The company has previously introduced enhanced ChatGPT Images to compete with the Google Nano Banana Pro. Additionally, a few more products, as per the reports, are in the pipeline.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
