OpenAI Launches GPT-5.5 as China Accelerates Global AI Race with DeepSeek and Alibaba

OpenAI deployed GPT-5.5 on April 23, 2026, positioning its model as a major advance toward a unified AI platform with autonomous agent capabilities and reduced hallucinations. Simultaneously, Chinese giants DeepSeek and Alibaba launched competing models claiming technological parity, while Google and Amazon injected $65 billion into Anthropic, illustrating an unprecedented infrastructure investment escalation across the sector.