OpenAI fires back at Google with GPT-5.2 after ‘code red’ memo

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  December 11, 2025 TechCrunch Top 3 OpenAI fires back at Google with GPT-5.2 after 'code red' memo: OpenAI just launched GPT-5.2, a frontier model aimed at developers and professionals, pushing reasoning and coding benchmarks as it races Google's Gemini 3 while grappling with compute costs and no generator. Read More Disney hits Google with cease-and-desist claiming 'massive' copyright infringement: Disney is accusing the tech giant of unauthorized distribution of its copyrighted characters without permission via Gemini AI. Read More Google debuts 'Disco,' a Gemini-powered tool for making web apps from browser tabs: Google Labs is testing a product that will work with your browser tabs to make web apps for you. Read More Be the first to know when news breaks Subscribe to our News Alerts, and you won't miss a thing. Breaking news, exclusives, and special reports—straight to your inbox. Sign up for News Alerts! A message from Persona Bad user onboarding is costing you customers. Clunky verification flows kill conversion rates. Persona creates smooth onboarding that verifies real users in seconds while blocking fraud, so your business can maximize signups without sacrificing security. Our Startup Program offers 12 months free with 500 monthly verifications, helping thousands of startups optimize their onboarding from day one. Learn more Afternoon Must-Reads Rivian goes big on autonomy, with custom silicon, lidar, and a hint at robotaxis: CEO RJ Scaringe laid out his plan for how Rivian's vehicles will increasingly drive themselves, in a bid to match or exceed the capabilities of rival automakers and AV companies. Read More TIME names 'Architects of AI' its Person of the Year: TIME Magazine has named the 'Architects of AI' its Person of the Year, who include Jensen Huang, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Lisa Su, Dario Amodei, Demis Hassabis, and Fei-Fei Li Read More The market has 'switched' and founders have the power now, VCs say: Graham & Walker's Leslie Feinzaig and XYZ Venture's Ross Fubini share the secrets for founders — and VCs — to make the most of the current fast pace of dealmaking. Read More Disney signs deal with OpenAI to allow Sora to generate AI videos featuring its characters: Disney says that alongside the agreement, it will "become a major customer of OpenAI," as it will use its APIs to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+. Read More Port raises $100M at $800M valuation to take on Spotify's Backstage: Port offers a proprietary alternative to Spotify's popular devtool catalog Backstage, but with a valuable addition — it can be used to manage AI agents, too. Read More A message from Dell Technologies Your Exclusive Dell Offer Awaits! Unlock unbeatable savings on Dell Technologies products today and stack your discounts to upgrade your tech effortlessly. To claim your deal, simply sign in or create an account, use code TCFY26 to complete a quick one-time verification, and enjoy exclusive member pricing instantly. Don't wait, this is a limited-time offer! Claim Your Discount You missed these chats from Disrupt: Kindred talks home-swapping platform for travelers, Chef Robotics introduces AI into commercial kitchens, and Character.AI addresses chatbot safety with teens. Watch on Cheddar.com Watch on Streaming Last but Not Least Harness hits $5.5B valuation with $240M raise to automate AI's 'after-code' gap: Goldman Sachs has led Harness's Series E round, with participation from IVP, Menlo Ventures, and Unusual Ventures. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107

Disney signs deal with OpenAI to allow Sora to generate AI videos featuring its characters

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories to start your morning

View this email online in your browser  December 11, 2025 TechCrunch Top 3 Disney signs deal with OpenAI to allow Sora to generate AI videos featuring its characters: Disney says that alongside the agreement, it will "become a major customer of OpenAI," as it will use its APIs to build new products, tools, and experiences, including for Disney+. Read More TIME names 'Architects of AI' its Person of the Year: TIME Magazine has named the 'Architects of AI' its Person of the Year, who include Jensen Huang, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Lisa Su, Dario Amodei, Demis Hassabis, and Fei-Fei Li Read More Opera wants you to pay $20 a month to use its AI-powered browser Neon: Following a couple of months' testing, Opera has finally made its AI-powered browser, Neon, available to the public — though you'll have to shell out for a $19.90-per-month subscription to use it. Read More Be the first to know when news breaks Subscribe to our News Alerts, and you won't miss a thing. Breaking news, exclusives, and special reports—straight to your inbox. Sign up for News Alerts! A message from Silicon Valley Bank SVB helps you scale to and through Series A. With deep industry expertise and a commitment to innovation, SVB is the partner you need to help you get to A, B and beyond. Scale with confidence with SVB by your side. Learn More Morning Must-Reads State attorneys general warn Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, and other AI giants to fix 'delusional' outputs: The letter demanded companies institute new safeguards to keep users safe from harmful psychological impacts. Read More Google's answer to the AI arms race — promote the guy behind its data center tech: Amin Vahdat has been promoted to chief technologist for AI infrastructure, a newly created position reporting directly to CEO Sundar Pichai. Read More You can now share live video with emergency services on Android: This feature could help give emergency dispatchers context in circumstances like car accidents, fires, or medical crises. Read More Baby delivered in Waymo continues proud tradition of not making it to the hospital: Some traditions, it seems, are immune to disruption. Read More Interest in Spoor's bird monitoring AI software is soaring: Spoor's computer vision software can help wind farms, and other industries, track bird populations and migration patterns. Read More A message from Dell Technologies Unlock Big Savings on Dell Technologies Today! Enjoy unbeatable deals and stack your discounts to upgrade your tech effortlessly. To redeem, simply sign in or create an account, use code TCFY26 to complete a quick one-time verification, and access member-only pricing instantly or call 877-523-6040. Act fast this limited-time offer won't last! Claim Your Savings You missed these chats from Disrupt: Kindred talks home-swapping platform for travelers, Chef Robotics introduces AI into commercial kitchens, and Character.AI addresses chatbot safety with teens. Watch on Cheddar.com Watch on Streaming Last but Not Least Port raises $100M at $800M valuation to take on Spotify's Backstage: Port offers a proprietary alternative to Spotify's popular devtool catalog Backstage, but with a valuable addition: it can be used to manage AI agents, too. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107