IT General

OpenAI announced today that it's launching GPT-5.2, the newest model in its GPT-5 series. The new model will start rolling out immediately, with paid ChatGPT customers getting access first.

In a blog post announcing the new model — which is actually a series of models, comprised of GPT‑5.2 Instant, GPT-5.2 Thinking, and GPT-5.2 Pro — OpenAI said that GPT-5.2 makes noticeable improvements in math and science, imaging, coding, handling agentic tasks, and overall accuracy. The company called GPT-5.2 its "most capable model series yet for professional knowledge work."

The new model comes at a difficult time for OpenAI, which is rumored to be in a "code red" state over stronger competition from rivals like Google Gemini and spreading fears of an AI bubble.

Ever since it launched ChatGPT in 2022, OpenAI has been securely on top of the AI industry. However, the company is in an increasingly precarious position. Google has an almost unfathomable amount of training data at its disposal, and Google AI products like Gemini 3, Veo 3, and Nano Banana have outperformed GPT-5, the new model OpenAI launched earlier this year, in many respects.

Still, ChatGPT is by far the most popular AI chatbot in the world, with an estimated 700 million weekly active users.

How to try GPT-5.2

The new GPT-5.2 models will start rolling out immediately, though access may not be available right away to all users. As per usual, OpenAI will launch the models to paid users on the Plus, Pro, Go, Business, and Enterprise accounts.

As of this writing, GPT-5.2 was not yet available for this reporter, and the rollout will likely happen in phases.

"We deploy GPT‑5.2 gradually to keep ChatGPT as smooth and reliable as we can; if you don’t see it at first, please try again later," OpenAI wrote in a blog post. "In ChatGPT, GPT‑5.1 will still be available to paid users for three months under legacy models, after which we will sunset GPT‑5.1."

OpenAI says GPT-5.2 makes key improvements in safety, accuracy, and performance benchmarks

The AI industry relies on standardized benchmark tests to demonstrate how well models perform, and companies like OpenAI also have their own internal tests. In addition, AI leaderboards like LMArena let users compare and rank various AI models. While GPT-5.2 has already appeared near the top of LMArena's AI coding leaderboard, it will take more time to see how users rate the new series of models against the competition. However, OpenAI released a new model card for GPT-5.2 on Dec. 11, which shows that the model makes across-the-board improvements in a variety of areas, which isn't surprising.

Most notably, OpenAI says that GPT-5.2 is more accurate and will produce fewer hallucinations compared to GPT-5.1. OpenAI's documentation states that GPT-5.2 Thinking has an average hallucination rate of 10.9 percent, compared to 16.8 percent and 12.7 percent for GPT-5 Thinking and GPT-5.1 Thinking, respectively. When GPT-5.2 is given access to the web via a browser, its hallucination rate drops to 5.8 percent.

In its blog post, OpenAI also states that GPT-5.2 scores more highly on benchmark tests for coding, science and math, performing economically valuable tasks, computer vision, and agentic work involving third-party tools. OpenAI also highlighted GPT-5.2's improved abilities with spreadsheets, in particular.

OpenAI says GPT-5.2 is safer for users with mental health problems

Lately, OpenAI has been accused of endangering ChatGPT users with mental health issues. Due to well-documented sycophancy problems, ChatGPT reportedly encouraged delusions and conspiratorial thinking on some users, who later died by suicide. OpenAI is now facing wrongful death suits, including a new suit that was just revealed for the first time today by the Wall Street Journal, in which a ChatGPT user killed himself shortly after killing his own mother.

OpenAI says that according to its internal tests, GPT-5.2 has a better response to users with mental health problems.

"With this release, we continued our work to strengthen our models’ responses in sensitive conversations⁠, with meaningful improvements in how they respond to prompts indicating signs of suicide or self harm, mental health distress, or emotional reliance on the model. These targeted interventions have resulted in fewer undesirable responses in both GPT‑5.2 Instant and GPT‑5.2 Thinking as compared to GPT‑5.1 and GPT‑5 Instant and Thinking models."

Mashable has not been able to independently verify these results, and the GPT-5.2 system card has scant details on how safety performance was measured in this context.

For more information, check out the OpenAI blog post announcing GPT-5.2 or read the new GPT-5.2 system card.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Sluggish automations can make your smart home feel unresponsive, which can ruin the user experience. Diagnosing the issue can be difficult, since there are so many variables you have to consider. Here are some things you should start with when trying to find the cause of your issues.

Lexus has built its reputation on long-term dependability, and the brand’s recent SUVs are some of the strongest examples of that legacy. In a market where new-car prices routinely exceed $50,000, finding a nearly new luxury SUV that you can trust for the long haul has never mattered more.

SAVE $1,000: As of Dec. 11, the Bluetti Elite 200 V2 solar generator with two 200W solar panels is just $1,299 at Amazon. That's 43% or a full $1,000 off its list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bluetti Bluetti Elite 200 V2 solar generator + two 200W solar panels $1,299 at Amazon
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Solar generators (aka portable power stations) can be a real lifesaver in many circumstances. Maybe you have a camping trip coming up, but you still need to access your computer for work. Or maybe you live in an area prone to power outages. In any case, having immediate access to one of these gadgets can keep you up and running. They're not the cheapest investments, so when you find a deal — like this Bluetti Elite 200 V2 bundle — it's worth grabbing.

As of Dec. 11, you can pick up the Bluetti Elite 200 V2 solar generator along with two 200W solar panels for only $1,299 at Amazon. That's 43% or $1,000 in savings. That's also cheaper than buying just the solar generator on its own at full price (reg. $1,699).

The Elite 200 V2 packs a 2,073Wh-capacity battery with a 2,600W (3,900W Power Lifting) AC output. That's enough to power nine devices simultaneously via four AC outlets, two 15W USB-A ports, two 100W USB-C ports, and a 120W car port. Meanwhile, it weighs just over 50 pounds and is the size of a small cooler. It's hefty, but still small enough to fit snugly in a corner of your home or portable enough to take on camping trips, tailgates, and other off-grid adventures.

The power station itself can be charged up via a typical AC outlet, with a car port, or with solar power. This bundle includes two 200W solar panels, so you'll be all set. With a 17-year lifespan, it's a smart long-term investment for your home and adventures. And knowing it will last so long definitely makes the price more justified. Save $1,000 while this deal is live.

Christmas is the time of year when all the best holiday TV specials and movies are released, and this season is no different. Rowan Atkinson’s hotly anticipated comedy miniseries is finally out, making it the perfect time to settle on the couch and enjoy it with the family.

Android users can now share live video of their environment while reaching out for emergency services, providing more context and assistance in potentially dire situations.

Launched on Wednesday, Emergency Live Video on Android lets emergency dispatchers request a live video feed while talking to a person who may be in danger. When initiated, callers are prompted with a single-tap button on their screen, which then provides a live video feed to dispatchers who can assess the environment or provide more specific medical assistance, like CPR instructions.

SEE ALSO: People negatively judge others who glitch on video calls, according to study

A Google blog post states that the resource works for both emergency calls and texts, and the footage is encrypted by default. The company also says it is looking to partner with global public safety organizations to expand the feature's reach.

Google has launched a variety of emergency safety features across its Android devices, including crash and fall detection, Emergency SOS, and satellite-based services. With the most recent Android 16, Google also added new accessibility features, parental controls, and the ability to mark communications as urgent.

Emergency Live Video has already rolled out to U.S. devices and emergency service calls in select regions of Germany and Mexico. In order to use the feature, devices must be running Android 8+ with Google Play services.

Most Christmas specials don't feature President Donald Trump giving Vice President JD Vance genital warts, Jesus Christ committing domestic violence, and Satan mpreg. But then again, most Christmas specials aren't South Park.

The show's Season 28 finale doubled as its holiday special, which meant creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone had to wrap up all of Season 27 and 28's fittingly unhinged Trump critiques in a neat Christmas bow.

SEE ALSO: 'South Park' creators have the most deadpan response to Trump episode controversy

Most pressingly, South Park had to conclude the tale of Satan and Trump's baby. As the episode starts, Satan is almost due and busy decorating the White House for the Antichrist's impending arrival. However, when he learns that Trump and Vance have absconded to Colorado in order to free Peter Thiel from jail and kill the Antichrist, Satan joins them in South Park to give him a piece of his mind.

What follows is a showdown where Jesus, Stan, and the Satanic Woodland Critters from South Park's Season 8 Christmas special square off against Trump, Vance, Peter Thiel, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and dirtbag Jesus. Due to Stan's pleas for a Christmas miracle, Jesus recognizes the error of his ways and drops his allegiance to Trump.

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

While that marks a happy ending for one of Season 28's most upsetting storylines — that of Jesus embracing a conservative, hateful version of Christianity — the same can't be said for the Antichrist storyline. Here, South Park goes as dark as it possibly can.

What happens to Trump and Satan's baby in South Park?

Satan never gives birth to the Antichrist. Instead, according to an ultrasound, the baby appears to have died by suicide in the womb.

"It appears that at some point when nobody was watching, the baby hung itself and took its own life," a doctor tells Trump. He then shows him the ultrasound, saying, "I’m afraid you can see it all in the video. The baby got hold of some bedsheets. There are a couple of minutes missing from the ultrasound, but it’s definitely a suicide."

The death is a reference to that of Jeffrey Epstein, who hanged himself with bedsheets in his cell at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center while awaiting trial for federal sex trafficking charges. Just like with the ultrasound in South Park, there is missing footage from security cameras outside Epstein's cell on the night of his death, leading to theories that Epstein did not die by suicide.

Trump celebrates the death of the Antichrist at his holiday party, dancing around figures like Apple CEO Tim Cook and Attorney General Pam Bondi, both of whom played roles in South Park Seasons 27 and 28. Satan, for his part, packs up all of his baby supplies and leaves the White House. It's a genuinely sobering moment in an episode packed with madcap shock value, including the darkly horrifying Epstein twist.

With that, South Park wishes us a Merry Christmas and closes out a two-season run that angered the White House, drew ratings highs, and managed to combine memes like 6-7 and Labubus with real-world atrocities like the Trump administration's ICE raids.

South Park is now streaming on Paramount+.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

Obsidian 1.11.0 Early Access is officially rolling out. It completely changes how you access your notes on the go, thanks to a massive focus on widgets and deep system integration across both iOS and Android. There are also many upgrades for desktop users.

James Gunn's relaunch of the DC Universe is looking up. Following the box office success of Superman, this resurging superhero franchise is next offering Supergirl, a flashy spinoff that's giving Guardians of the Galaxy energy with this first trailer.

Maybe it's Blondie blasting "Call Me" across footage of Supergirl partying and crashing alongside her lovable superpup, Krypto. Maybe it's the collision of outer space shenanigans, rock 'n' roll, and eye-popping action. But we are seated to see House of the Dragon's Milly Alcock reprise the role of Kara, Superman's enchantingly chaotic cousin.

Based on the comic mini-series Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, written by Tom King and illustrated by Bilquis Evely, this movie will follow Kara on her party odyssey, which crashes into a quest to help an alien girl named Ruthye Marye Knoll (Eve Ridley) seek justice.

Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya, Cruella) directs Supergirl, with a screenplay by Ana Nogueira. Joining Alcock and Ridley in the superhero action are Matthias Schoenaerts, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and Jason Momoa, who is not playing Aquaman here. Nearly a year ago, Momoa announced on Instagram he'd been asked to play Lobo, a hulking anti-hero who works as an interstellar bounty hunter.

What else can you glean from this teaser? Sound off in the comments.

Supergirl opens only in theaters June 26, 2026.

We all love the Christmas classics like Elf and Home Alone, but it's also worth checking out some new festive treats. JustWatch analyzed the Christmas movies that were released this year to see which are the most popular, and these are the results.

SAVE $150: The M3 iPad Air, 13-inch (128GB, WiFi) is on sale at Amazon in the purple colorway for $649.99, down from the usual price of $799.99. That's a 19% discount and a price that matches the record low.

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$799.99 Save $150   Get Deal

As shopping experts who browse each day for the best deals, there's something espeically satisfying to find a hidden coupon at Amazon. Tucked into the options of colorways, storage sizes, and connectivity options, we stumbled into a lovely iPad coupon that could be excellent if you need an upgrade.

As of Dec. 11, the M3 iPad Air, 13-inch (128GB, WiFi, purple) is on sale for $649.99 at Amazon, marked down from the usual price of $799.99. That's a 19% discount that shaves $150 off the price. Be sure to clip the on-page coupon to score this iPad Air for a record-low price.

As long as you don't totally hate the color purple, this iPad deal will get you an iPad Air for under $650. The M3 iPad Air is one of Mashable's favorite tablets of 2025, earning the honor of the best iPad upgrade. Mashable went with the less expensive 11-inch model, but today's deal applies to the larger 13-inch display. That extra display size will be a nice addition while watching movies, reading e-books, or creating your next masterpiece artwork.

One of the highlight features that earned the M3 iPad Air a place on the Mashable list is the powerful M3 chip allows you to both edit videos and play games. That's not something every tablet can say.

SEE ALSO: Amazon just dropped the AirPods Pro 3 to their best price ever

After testing tablets, Mashable also rated this model as a great option for creators. "We also think the Apple iPad Air is the best tablet for creatives and artists," according to the Mashable shopping team who chose the best tablets of 2025. "Content creators can get plenty done on the go with the featherlight and ferocious Apple iPad Air, and it works well as a drawing tablet."

In Mashable's full review of the M3 iPad Air, Senior Editor Stan Schroeder got several days of battery life from the iPad when using it for browsing and reading. It got 14 hours and 46 minutes of battery life when looping TikTok videos at 50% brightness.

While this coupon is still live, get the purple M3 iPad Air, 13-inch (128GB, WiFi) for $649.99 at Amazon. Keep in mind it might not arrive in time for Christmas depending on your delivery address, but who said a late Christmas present isn't just as exciting?

Although it leaked online before the announcement, Time magazine made its 2025 Person of the Year official on Thursday morning: It's the "architects of AI."

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Time magazine's official cover(s) for the 2025 Person of the Year edition include Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, AMD CEO Lisa Su, Tesla and xAI CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and the "godmother of AI" Fei-Fei Li.

However, Time's accolade arrives as Generative AI faces increasing blowback over concerns about privacy and inaccuracies, its environmental impact, mass production of slop, and copyright issues. Still, more companies have started using AI for creative works, such as commercials. Coca-Cola and McDonald's are just two examples of big brands that published AI-generated holiday commercials – only to retract the ads after receiving criticism from consumers.

Those anti-AI feelings appear to be spilling over into Time's 2025 Person of the Year announcement as well.

On X, users commented about AI training off of intellectual property it may not have consent to use.

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Others knocked how Time was celebrating the CEOs of tech companies rather than the "engineers and researchers who actually build AI."

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Some X users focused on Time's choice of a cover for the Person of the Year issue, which recreates the infamous "Lunch atop a Skyscraper" photo from 1932, replacing the iron workers sitting on a steel beam with tech CEOs.

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On Reddit, some of the top comments on the highest upvoted posts were very critical of Time's choice.

"Oh god Please burst the AI bubble ASAP." 

"how very disappointing" 

"The editors were so proud of this choice... ..until they all lost their jobs to the 'Person of the Year'."

And, of course, there were a few wise guys who cracked jokes about how "AI" written out looks like we're talking about a guy named "Al."

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It's important to note that Time's 2025 Person of the Year article does touch upon many of the negative aspects about AI.

The magazine's Person of the Year designation is not meant to be a moral judgement on the person chosen, but instead a recognition of their impact on the world, whether it's good, bad, or a mix of both. Over Time's history, the publication has given Person of the Year to some truly terrible individuals along with some who have devoted themselves to helping others.

Still, many online seem to believe that AI and its big tech cheerleaders don't deserve the recognition.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Sensors are one of the most underrated parts of a great smart home. You can use them to measure temperature, humidity, presence, and so much more. But what if you didn’t have to buy anything? I used an old Samsung Galaxy phone as a sensor, and it’s surprisingly easy.

Retro gaming is pretty popular these days, with fans everywhere buying handheld consoles or gaming phones. But what if someone combined the two? After months of teasers, the popular gaming handheld manufacturer AYANEO just unveiled the all-new Pocket Play. A sliding Android phone with physical controls reminiscent of the Sony Xperia Play.

Whether you're interviewing for an Excel-related job or teaching a beginner, using the right terminology is crucial. Above all else, knowing the difference between a range and an array is the key to understanding how Excel processes data, giving you better insight into modern dynamic functions.

KDE Gear 25.12 is now available and comes with a substantial list of quality-of-life enhancements to essential apps like Dolphin and Kate. If you’re running the KDE Plasma desktop environment or using a GNU/Linux distribution, you should check out these updates.

SAVE $50: As of Dec. 11, Amazon has the Apple AirPods Pro 3 on sale for $199. That's 20% off the list price of $249 and their lowest price to date.

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If you grabbed Apple's AirPods Pro 3 on Black Friday, I'm sending my condolences. The same earbuds are now $20 cheaper — great news for those who still have them on their list.

As of Dec. 11, the AirPods Pro 3 are now on sale for just $199 at Amazon. That's 20% or $50 off the list price of $249 and a new best price ever for the premium Apple earbuds. Walmart kicked off the record-low pricing in the early hours of the day, but it didn't take long for Amazon to give 'em the old price match. At the time of writing, Best Buy and Target have yet to join in on the fun (both retailers currently have them on sale for $219.99).

"The AirPods Pro pop up on most best of lists, and though we've always been fans, the third generation takes these earbuds to a new level," writes Mashable's reviewer. The new Apple AirPods Pro 3 feature better noise cancellation (twice as good as the Pro 2s), better battery life (eight hours with ANC, 10 hours in transparency mode), and new foam-infused tips that come in five sizes to find the right fit. They also brought the heart rate monitoring tech from the Powerbeats Pro 2 (our favorite earbuds for working out) and Fitness app compatibility to the Pro 3s, and introduced a live translation feature.

If you already have the AirPods Pro 2, we don't think it's necessarily worth an upgrade, but if you're debating between the Pro 2 and Pro 3, this price drop really seals the deal. Go with the AirPods Pro 3.

The prices of PC components have been on a steady rise over the past few years, but this year's been something else. PC gamers are slowly being priced out of building a PC that'll be good enough to handle AAA games for the next few years.

Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI, the entertainment giant announced on Thursday. As part of the deal, OpenAI users will be able to create AI images and videos featuring some of Disney's copyrighted characters.

OpenAI recently launched Sora, an AI video generation app powered by the Sora 2 video model, which allows users to create short videos by typing in a text prompt. When the app first launched, it freely used copyrighted characters from companies like Disney, before OpenAI ultimately cracked down. Now, users will be able to create content on Sora using characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars universes.

The deal also extends to ChatGPT, where users will be able to create images with these characters just by entering a text prompt.

“The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI, we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI, while respecting and protecting creators and their works,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement.

"Bringing together Disney’s iconic stories and characters with OpenAI’s groundbreaking technology puts imagination and creativity directly into the hands of Disney fans in ways we’ve never seen before," he said.

Disney also said that it will now become a "major customer" of OpenAI, and that it will be using its API to "build new products, tools, and experiences," as well as deploy ChatGPT for its employees.

SEE ALSO: The best Disney+ deals and bundles in December 2025

While Disney has cozied up with OpenAI, the company has taken a very different approach with other AI companies. In June 2025, Disney and Universal filed a lawsuit against AI company Midjourney, calling the AI image generator a "bottomless pit of plagiarism."

Sora ruffled some feathers when it launched this September, too, with the Motion Picture Association urging OpenAI to take action against copyright infringement on the platform.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

SAVE $55.99: As of Dec. 11, get the Apple AirPods 4 for $74 at Walmart, down from their usual price of $129.99. That's a discount of 43%.

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$129.99 Save $55.99   Get Deal

If you're still shopping around for holiday gifts or just want a new pair of earbuds, you can't go wrong with AirPods. Whether it's your first pair or your fifth, they're a great, go-to buy for anyone that appreciates great value and sound alike. And thanks to this deal at Walmart, they're well worth picking up at this deeply discounted price.

As of Dec. 11, get the Apple AirPods 4 for $74 at Walmart, down from their usual price of $129.99. That's $55.99 off and a discount of 43%.

SEE ALSO: The 11 best headphones of 2025 — see the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and Beats

While this model doesn't feature active noise cancellation, you'll still be set with excellent sound thanks to personalized spatial audio with improved sound and call quality over the AirPods 3 model. They're hardy, easy to clean, and reliable, so you don't have to worry about dropping and ruining them or getting them too dirty to function with regular use.

In addition to making your music sound great, they're the perfect pick for calls. They offer voice isolation, interaction with Siri, and an updated fit from the previous model that make them more than adequate and comfortable for long listening periods, whether you're on long meeting calls or catching up with friends.

They have a lengthy battery life thanks to their included charging case as well, so you can rest assured they'll be ready to go when you are. And with easy connectivity to your iOS device, they're super simple to set up.

Grab these AirPods 4 fast while they're still available at this price, because this deal likely won't be up for long.