OpenAI is reportedly developing a new large language model (LLM) codenamed ‘Garlic’, expected to excel in coding and reasoning tasks, signaling a shift toward specialized AI applications in high-value sectors like biomedicine and healthcare. Internal tests suggest Garlic outperforms Google’s Gemini 3 and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.5. The AI startup, facing competitive pressure and declining ChatGPT traffic, has declared ‘Code Red’, with CEO Sam Altman prioritizing ChatGPT improvements over other initiatives. Garlic, likely launching as GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.5 by early 2026, reflects OpenAI’s strategy to enhance AI performance and maintain user growth amid rising industry competition.