It is total war between them
OpenAI accelerated ChatGPT's launch to two weeks after learning Anthropic was developing a competing chatbot, creating the fastest-growing app in history. Anthropic now values higher ($965B vs $852B) and leads in enterprise AI programming, reversing years of chasing OpenAI's dominance.
- OpenAI accelerated ChatGPT's launch to two weeks after learning of Anthropic's competing chatbot in November 2022
- Anthropic filed for IPO on June 1; OpenAI followed on June 8
- Anthropic valued at $965 billion (May 2026); OpenAI at $852 billion (March 2026)
- Anthropic now leads in enterprise AI programming; OpenAI redirected resources to compete
- The two companies use different revenue reporting methods, potentially setting industry standards
Reuters reveals OpenAI rushed ChatGPT to market in two weeks to counter Anthropic's development, sparking an ongoing rivalry now extending to competing IPO filings and market valuations.
In November 2022, Sam Altman received word that Anthropic was building a chatbot. Within days, he ordered his team to accelerate their own competing product. Two weeks later, ChatGPT launched—and became the fastest-growing application in history. The story of how that happened, reported by Reuters this week, reveals the intensity of a rivalry that has only deepened in the years since.
The competition between OpenAI and Anthropic has now reached the public markets. Anthropic filed confidentially for an initial public offering on June 1st. OpenAI followed a week later, on June 8th. But the race to go public is merely the latest chapter in a much longer struggle for dominance in artificial intelligence. What began as a sprint to launch a product has evolved into a battle over valuation, revenue reporting, and the very standards by which AI companies will be measured by investors.
For three years, Anthropic chased OpenAI's lead. The dynamic shifted by late 2025. Anthropic released a powerful update to Claude Code and seized the lead in enterprise programming—the market for AI-assisted software development. OpenAI responded by redirecting resources toward corporate clients, reinforcing its Codex product and launching DeployCo, a joint venture with nineteen global firms designed to embed AI engineers directly into companies. The two organizations are no longer competing for the same customers; they are competing for the same future.
The numbers tell a striking story. In May, Anthropic raised capital at a valuation of $965 billion. OpenAI's last valuation, from March, stood at $852 billion. Anthropic—which was founded by former OpenAI employees—now commands a higher price than the company it left behind. "It is total war between them," Anastasios Angelopoulos, CEO of Arena, a benchmarking firm for AI systems, told Reuters.
But even the numbers are contested. The two companies report revenue differently. Anthropic counts the total value paid by customers. OpenAI records only net revenue, after deducting payments to Microsoft. OpenAI has accused Anthropic of inflating its figures by billions of dollars. Anthropic says it follows established accounting practices. The disagreement matters because whichever company goes public first may establish the standard by which all AI firms will report their results to the market.
Internally, Altman pressed his chief financial officer, Sarah Friar, to accelerate the IPO timeline. According to Reuters, he told her to either meet the aggressive schedule or hire other bankers and lawyers who could. The pressure reflects the stakes: the company that defines how AI revenues are counted may also define how the entire industry is valued.
The tension between the two leaders has spilled into public view. In February, at an AI summit in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the executives present to join hands as a gesture of unity. Altman and Dario Amodei, Anthropic's CEO, stood side by side on stage. Both refused. The moment was recorded and spread across the internet—a small but unmistakable signal of the distance between them.
Citações Notáveis
Of a sudden, it was: we need to launch this in two weeks— OpenAI employee quoted by Reuters
It is total war between them— Anastasios Angelopoulos, CEO of Arena
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did Altman move so fast on ChatGPT? Was it just competitive panic?
It was more than panic. Altman understood that in AI, being first to market with a product that works can define the entire category. He wasn't just trying to beat Anthropic—he was trying to own the conversation.
But Anthropic has caught up. They're worth more now. Did the two-week sprint actually matter?
It mattered enormously, but not in the way Altman probably expected. ChatGPT became the fastest-growing app in history. That gave OpenAI the brand, the user base, the data. But it also made them the target. Anthropic learned from watching OpenAI's moves.
The revenue reporting disagreement—is that just accounting, or is it something deeper?
It's about power. Whoever goes public first gets to define what "success" looks like for the entire industry. If Anthropic's numbers become the standard, every AI company will report that way. That shapes how investors think about the sector.
What does the refusal to shake hands in India actually signal?
That this isn't a business rivalry anymore. It's personal. These are people who worked together, who understand each other's capabilities intimately, and who are now locked in a contest they both believe they have to win.
Who's actually ahead right now?
Depends on how you measure. Anthropic has the higher valuation and leads in enterprise. But OpenAI has the installed base, the brand recognition, the relationship with Microsoft. It's genuinely unclear.