OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has moved at an unusually fast pace in 2025. According to the company, it launched GPT-5 in August, followed by GPT-5.1 in November. Now, just weeks later, GPT-5.2 has launched with familiar claims of being the smartest and most capable ChatGPT yet.

At first glance, the rapid rollout might seem surprising. But there’s context behind it. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly called a “code red” inside the company, urging teams to move faster on improving ChatGPT. That push comes as competition heats up. Google recently released Gemini 3, which reportedly outperformed ChatGPT on several artificial intelligence benchmarks and delivered stronger image generation. At the same time, Anthropic’s Claude continues to advance quickly.

Against that backdrop, GPT-5.2 feels less like a routine upgrade and more like a strategic response. So what actually changed in GPT-5.2, and why does OpenAI say it matters?

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What exactly is GPT-5.2

GPT-5.2 is the newest version in OpenAI’s flagship 5-series of large language models. Like its predecessor, it includes two default variants. GPT-5.2 Instant is designed for everyday chatting and web searches. GPT-5.2 Thinking is meant for more complex tasks like long reasoning chains and multi-step problem solving. These two models are now the default for all ChatGPT users, including free users. They replace GPT-5.1 Instant and Thinking entirely. If you are using ChatGPT today, you are already using GPT-5.2, whether you realize it or not.

What OpenAI says GPT-5 brings to ChatGPT

At the same time, OpenAI continues to position GPT-5 as “expert intelligence for everyone.” The company says GPT-5 delivers stronger performance across math, science, finance, law and other complex subjects. In OpenAI’s view, ChatGPT now acts more like a team of on-demand experts than a basic chatbot. To support that claim, OpenAI points to practical examples. These include better coding help, more expressive writing support, clearer health-related explanations and improved safety and accuracy. The company showcases use cases such as generating app code, writing speeches, explaining medications and correcting mistakes in user-submitted images. In theory, GPT-5.2 builds on that same foundation. However, while OpenAI emphasizes deeper thinking and more reliable answers, those gains remain subtle for many everyday users.

What new features does GPT-5.2 add?

Here’s the short answer. None. GPT-5.2 does not introduce new tools, interfaces, or headline features. Instead, OpenAI describes a series of behind-the-scenes improvements that supposedly make ChatGPT faster, smarter and more capable. According to OpenAI, GPT-5.2 performs better at:

• Building presentations
• Completing complex projects
• Creating spreadsheets
• Understanding long context windows
• Interpreting images
• Using tools more effectively

OpenAI also released new benchmarks showing GPT-5.2 outperforming GPT-5.1 and competing models by small margins. However, big numbers on charts do not always translate into noticeable improvements for real users.

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Why testing chatbot improvements is tricky

Evaluating chatbot upgrades is harder than it sounds. Responses can vary widely even when prompts stay the same. A model might excel at one task and struggle with a nearly identical one just moments later. On top of that, OpenAI’s 5-series models already perform at or near the top of the field. When performance starts that high, meaningful gains become harder to detect. With that in mind, we tested GPT-5.2, and in most tests, it behaved almost identically to GPT-5.1.

Why benchmarks don’t tell the full story

OpenAI’s benchmarks show modest gains for GPT-5.2. That matters for researchers and developers working at scale. Still, even advanced users may struggle to see practical benefits. Other companies have delivered clearer upgrades. Google’s Gemini Nano Banana Pro model shows obvious gains in AI image generation and editing. Those improvements are easy for anyone to test and verify. By contrast, GPT-5.2’s changes feel abstract. They exist mostly on paper rather than in daily use.    

What this means to you

If you pay for ChatGPT, there’s little downside to using GPT-5.2. It replaces GPT-5.1 in the model lineup and generally performs at least as well in everyday use. Free users don’t have much choice either, as model access is handled automatically. For most people, the experience feels familiar and stable.

The picture shifts slightly for programmers and those who use it for business. Early pricing details suggest GPT-5.2 may cost roughly 40 percent more per million tokens than GPT-5.1, depending on usage tier and access method. That makes testing important before committing at scale.

In short, GPT-5.2 works fine. It simply may not feel exciting.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

GPT-5.2 feels like a model released under pressure rather than inspiration. It performs well, stays reliable, and moves forward in measurable ways. Still, it doesn’t deliver the kind of clear progress many people expect from a new version number. OpenAI remains a leader in AI, but competition is closing in fast. As rivals roll out more noticeable improvements, small updates may no longer be enough to stand out. For now, GPT-5.2 feels less like a breakthrough and more like OpenAI holding its ground.

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Should AI companies slow down releases until improvements feel more meaningful? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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For years, Samsung has made products that try to camouflage what they are by displaying works of art. The Frame TV is the most famous example, but the company also released the Music Frame, a speaker disguised as a picture frame, at last year’s CES. Now, instead of hiding a speaker with a piece of art, Samsung worked with designer Erwan Bouroullec to make a speaker into a piece of art.

According to Samsung, the Music Studio line of speakers, debuting at CES 2026, draw inspiration from the “timeless dot concept” found throughout music and art. As a musician, the Music Studio 5 reminds me of a fermata, the symbol meant to hold a note or silence. It has a 4-inch woofer and dual tweeters with built-in waveguide.

The larger Music Studio 7 is a 3.1.1-channel speaker that can be used on its own, in a pair for wider stereo sound, or with compatible Samsung Wi-Fi speakers, soundbars, or TVs using the company’s Q-Symphony technology. The Studio 7 is capable of playing high-resolution audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, and it and the Music Studio 5 use AI Dynamic Bass Control to extend bass response.

Sometimes these aesthetic-first speakers forget about the most important part of a speaker — its sound quality. But Samsung has done an impressive job over the past few years with its audio tuning which makes me optimistic for the Music Studio’s performance.

Apple has released emergency security updates to fix two zero-day vulnerabilities that attackers actively exploited in highly targeted attacks. 

The company described the activity as an “extremely sophisticated attack” aimed at specific individuals. Although Apple did not identify the attackers or victims, the limited scope strongly suggests spyware-style operations rather than widespread cybercrime.

Both flaws affect WebKit, the browser engine behind Safari and all browsers on iOS. As a result, the risk is significant. In some cases, simply visiting a malicious webpage may be enough to trigger an attack.

Below, we break down what these vulnerabilities mean and explain how you can better protect yourself.

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What Apple says about the zero-day vulnerabilities

The two vulnerabilities are tracked as CVE-2025-43529 and CVE-2025-14174, and Apple confirmed that both were exploited in the same real-world attacks. According to Apple’s security bulletin, the flaws were abused on versions of iOS released before iOS 26, and the attacks were limited to “specific targeted individuals.”

CVE-2025-43529 is a WebKit use-after-free vulnerability that can lead to arbitrary code execution when a device processes maliciously crafted web content. To put it simply, it allows attackers to run their own code on a device by tricking the browser into mishandling memory. Apple credited Google’s Threat Analysis Group with discovering this flaw, which is often a strong indicator of nation-state or commercial spyware activity.

The second flaw, CVE-2025-14174, is also a WebKit issue, this time involving memory corruption. While Apple describes the impact as memory corruption rather than direct code execution, these types of bugs are often chained together with other vulnerabilities to fully compromise a device. Apple says this issue was discovered jointly by Apple and Google’s Threat Analysis Group.

In both cases, Apple acknowledged that it was aware of reports confirming active exploitation in the wild. That language is important because Apple typically reserves it for situations where attacks have already occurred, not just theoretical risks. The company says it addressed the bugs through improved memory management and better validation checks, without sharing deeper technical details that could help attackers replicate the exploits.

Devices affected and signs of coordinated disclosure

Apple has released patches across its supported operating systems, including the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Safari, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS.

According to Apple’s advisory, affected devices include iPhone 11 and newer models, multiple generations of iPad Pro, iPad Air from the third generation onward, the eighth-generation iPad and newer and the iPad mini starting with the fifth generation. This covers the vast majority of iPhones and iPads still in active use today.

Apple has patched the flaws across its entire ecosystem. Fixes are available in iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2, iOS 18.7.3 and iPadOS 18.7.3, macOS Tahoe 26.2, tvOS 26.2, watchOS 26.2, visionOS 26.2 and Safari 26.2. Because Apple requires all iOS browsers to use WebKit under the hood, the same underlying issue also affected Chrome on iOS.

6 steps you can take to protect yourself from such vulnerabilities

Here are six practical steps you can take to stay safe, especially in light of highly targeted zero-day attacks like this.

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1) Install updates as soon as they drop

This sounds obvious, but it matters more than anything else. Zero-day attacks rely on people running outdated software. If Apple ships an emergency update, install it the same day if you can. Delaying updates is often the only window attackers need. If you tend to forget about updates, let your devices handle them for you. Enable automatic updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS and Safari. That way, you are protected even if you miss the news or are traveling.

2) Be careful with links, even from people you know

Most WebKit exploits start with malicious web content. Avoid tapping on random links sent over SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram or email unless you are expecting them. If something feels off, open the site later by typing the address yourself.

The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

3) Use a lockdown-style browsing setup

If you are a journalist, an activist or someone who deals with sensitive information, consider reducing your attack surface. Use Safari only, avoid unnecessary browser extensions, and limit how often you open links inside messaging apps.

4) Turn on Lockdown Mode if you feel at risk

Apple’s Lockdown Mode is designed specifically for targeted attacks. It restricts certain web technologies, blocks most message attachments, and limits attack vectors commonly used by spyware. It is not for everyone, but it exists for situations like this.

5) Reduce your exposed personal data

Targeted attacks often start with profiling. The more personal data about you that is floating around online, the easier it is to pick you as a target. Removing data from broker sites and tightening social media privacy settings can lower your visibility.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services, and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

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6) Pay attention to unusual device behavior

Unexpected crashes, overheating, sudden battery drain or Safari closing on its own can sometimes be warning signs. These do not automatically mean your device is compromised. However, if something feels consistently wrong, updating immediately and resetting the device is a smart move.

Kurt’s key takeaway

Apple has not shared details about who was targeted or how the attacks were delivered. However, the pattern fits closely with past spyware campaigns that focused on journalists, activists, political figures and others of interest to surveillance operators. With these patches, Apple has now fixed seven zero-day vulnerabilities that were exploited in the wild in 2025 alone. That includes flaws disclosed earlier this year and a backported fix in September for older devices.

Have you installed the latest iOS or iPadOS update yet, or are you still putting it off? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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