OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google catches up in AI race • Hacker News Board

Re: OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google catches up in AI race

#261

Post by BeetleB » Tue, Dec 02, 2025, 8:50 PM UTC

kranke155 wrote: post #164

TechRemarker wrote: post #84

Heard all the news how Gemini 3 is passing everyone on benchmarks, so quickly tested and still find it a far cry from ChatGPT in real world use when testing questions on both platforms. But importantly the ChatGPT app experience at least for iPhone/Mac users is drastically superior vs Google which feels very Google still. So Gemini would have to be drastically better answer wise than ChatGPT to lure users from a bett…

Gemini comes with the 1.99 Google One plan. So I use that

Actually, it comes with the free plan. The $1.99 plan doesn't give you any more AI capabilities. Only at the $19.99/mo plan do you get more.

https://one.google.com/about/#compare-plans

Re: OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google catches up in AI race

#262

Post by caseyf7 » Tue, Dec 02, 2025, 8:51 PM UTC

dasil003 wrote: post #245

ridgeguy wrote: post #212

I have (rather, had) a paid subscription to ChatGPT. I work at my home in the Sierra foothills, and on alternate weeks in my office in San Jose. Last month, I used ChatGPT while in SJ. I needed a function that's only available to paying customers, and which had worked well from my home. ChatGPT refused to recognize me as a paid-up customer. I had correct login creds + ancillary identifying info, but no go. Over the c…

Of course Google is mature enough that this particular failure mode probably won’t happen, but there may be other more concerning failure modes for individuals who are reliant on a broad swath of Google services. Diversity of tech companies is an important consideration for me, one that definitely outweighs one-time issues, especially in a field where credible competition is limited.

This is exactly the kind of failure Google is notorious for. Google has put me through their login purgatory multiple times where the only solution was to wait many days and try the same steps again until it works. I think it would be much easier to get this resolved with OpenAI than with Google.

Re: OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google catches up in AI race

#263

Post by 0xbadcafebee » Tue, Dec 02, 2025, 8:51 PM UTC

Is it really a race? It feels more like a slog. I continue to try to use AI (google, openai, and anthropic), and it continues to be a pain in the ass. Their consumer interfaces are garbage, both being buggy/bloated and clunky to work over multiple threads, with its "memory" being nearly nonexistent outside a single thread. They randomly fail to do the thing they did successfully 5 minutes ago. I struggle to get them to do basic things while other things they do effortlessly. They're bad at logic, spatial reasoning/engineering, and I have to constantly correct them. Often they'll do things in agents that I never asked them to do, and I have to then undo it... The time I used to spend doing things manually, I now spend in fixing the thing that's supposed to be automating the manual work... and no matter how I try to fix it, it finds a new way to randomly fail. I am much happier just doing things by hand.

Re: OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google catches up in AI race

#264

Post by unsupp0rted » Tue, Dec 02, 2025, 8:51 PM UTC

riku_iki wrote: post #250

edouard-harris wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> with no means of significant revenue generation. OpenAI will top $20 billion in ARR this year, which certainly seems like significant revenue generation. [1] [1] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/06/sam-altman-says-openai-will-...

> Altman says that OpenAI will top $20 billion in ARR this year, which certainly seems like significant revenue generation. [1] fixed this for you

Can he safely lie about that? Or would that be a slam-dunk lawsuit against him? He's already got Elon Musk on his enemies list.

Re: OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google catches up in AI race

#265

Post by renegade-otter » Tue, Dec 02, 2025, 8:51 PM UTC

The fate of OpenAI is effectively sealed - it will go bankrupt and the scraps will get absorbed by Microsoft, for further enshitification. Not necessarily the "end" of AI, but enjoy your account while it's useful.

The problem is, there is a whole ecosystem of businesses operating as OpenAI API wrappers, and those are gonna get screeeeewed.

Re: OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google catches up in AI race

#266

Post by orochimaaru » Tue, Dec 02, 2025, 8:51 PM UTC

drivebyhooting wrote: post #235

ridgeguy wrote: post #212

I have (rather, had) a paid subscription to ChatGPT. I work at my home in the Sierra foothills, and on alternate weeks in my office in San Jose. Last month, I used ChatGPT while in SJ. I needed a function that's only available to paying customers, and which had worked well from my home. ChatGPT refused to recognize me as a paid-up customer. I had correct login creds + ancillary identifying info, but no go. Over the c…

How do you handle family obligations and a super commute like that?

Super commuting is a thing since this whole RTO shit show happened. A lot of companies use it as excuse to lay-off.

As someone who does it, it depends on motivations. If the paycheck you bring in with the commute is more than what you’ll make by getting a new job, your kids are semi independent, your partner can hold the fort down Monday to Friday it’s doable.

It sucks but it’s doable

Re: OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google catches up in AI race

#267

Post by hn_throwaway_99 » Tue, Dec 02, 2025, 8:53 PM UTC

ridgeguy wrote: post #212

I have (rather, had) a paid subscription to ChatGPT. I work at my home in the Sierra foothills, and on alternate weeks in my office in San Jose. Last month, I used ChatGPT while in SJ. I needed a function that's only available to paying customers, and which had worked well from my home. ChatGPT refused to recognize me as a paid-up customer. I had correct login creds + ancillary identifying info, but no go. Over the c…

I mean, cool story bro.

So you experienced a bug, which happens on software. I've traveled a lot and have never had an issue with my ChatGPT subscription. I'm not doubting you, but I don't think your anecdote adds much to the conversation of OpenAI vs Google.

Re: OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google catches up in AI race

#268

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Dec 02, 2025, 8:53 PM UTC

ridgeguy wrote: post #212

I have (rather, had) a paid subscription to ChatGPT. I work at my home in the Sierra foothills, and on alternate weeks in my office in San Jose. Last month, I used ChatGPT while in SJ. I needed a function that's only available to paying customers, and which had worked well from my home. ChatGPT refused to recognize me as a paid-up customer. I had correct login creds + ancillary identifying info, but no go. Over the c…

[deleted]

Re: OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google catches up in AI race

#269

Post by raw_anon_1111 » Tue, Dec 02, 2025, 8:53 PM UTC

riku_iki wrote: post #250

edouard-harris wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> with no means of significant revenue generation. OpenAI will top $20 billion in ARR this year, which certainly seems like significant revenue generation. [1] [1] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/06/sam-altman-says-openai-will-...

> Altman says that OpenAI will top $20 billion in ARR this year, which certainly seems like significant revenue generation. [1] fixed this for you

And lose how much money doing it?

Re: OpenAI declares 'code red' as Google catches up in AI race

#270

Post by raw_anon_1111 » Tue, Dec 02, 2025, 8:54 PM UTC

echelon wrote: post #223

ascorbic wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> An innovative product with no means of significant revenue generation. OpenAI has annualized revenue of $20bn. That's not Google, but it's not insignificant.

Every F500 CEO told their team "have an AI strategy ASAP". In a year, when the economy might be in worse shape, they'll ask their team if the AI thing is working out. What do you think happens to all the enterprise OpenAI contracts at that point? (Especially if the same tech layperson CEOs keep reading Forbes and hearing Scott Galloway dump on OpenAI and call the AI thing a "bubble"?)

I will change a few lines of code and use another AI model?