After ‘code red’, OpenAI sees 10% ChatGPT growth, readies new AI chat model

OpenAI is reportedly showing fresh signs of momentum after its flagship product ChatGPT returned to more than 10% month-on-month growth, offering relief after months of intense competition in the artificial intelligence race.

The renewed growth appears to have helped restore confidence inside the company following a “code red” declared in December 2025, when OpenAI paused or sidelined several core projects to focus on improving ChatGPT, accelerating model upgrades and responding to growing competition in the AI sector.

In an internal Slack message sent on February 6 and reported by CNBC, OpenAI also said it plans to introduce “an updated Chat model” in the coming days. Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman hinted that a new AI model could be released between February 9 and February 15.

In the same Slack message, Altman reportedly said OpenAI’s coding product Codex has seen 50% growth, with adoption accelerating in recent weeks. He added that the release of GPT-5.3-Codex last week had drawn an “insane” response from users, writing: “This was a great week.”

Codex competes directly with Anthropic’s Claude Code, intensifying what is shaping up to be a head-to-head battle in AI-powered software development tools. Anthropic has gained traction with developers through coding-focused features, narrowing the gap with OpenAI in a market once dominated by ChatGPT.

The rivalry has also spilt into business models. Anthropic has publicly committed to keeping its chatbot ad-free, while OpenAI has begun testing advertisements inside ChatGPT. Anthropic has run ad campaigns highlighting its stance, a move Altman criticised in a recent post on X, calling the ads “dishonest” and saying OpenAI would “never run ads in the way Anthropic depicts them.”

With an updated chat model expected as early as this week, investors and developers are watching closely to see whether OpenAI can sustain its renewed growth and maintain its lead in an increasingly crowded AI landscape.