Sam Altman's Response to Musk Feud: Launching X Rival
The co-founder of ChatGPT, Sam Altman, is taking his ongoing feud with Elon Musk to the next level by introducing a new social media platform to compete with X.
Altman, who serves as the chief executive of OpenAI, is reportedly considering the development of a website built upon the foundation of its recently unveiled AI image generator. This move, as initially disclosed by The Verge, represents the latest development in the clash between the OpenAI founder and Musk.
Altman and Musk co-founded OpenAI as a non-profit organization back in 2015, with financial backing from entrepreneur Peter Thiel and Amazon. However, disagreements arose between the two tech magnates regarding the transformation of the company into a commercial entity, prompting Musk's departure following a power struggle in 2018.
Subsequently, Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that his former associates had breached their values by converting the firm into a for-profit business, a move he described as a "deceit of Shakespearean proportions." OpenAI retaliated by accusing Musk of harassment.
Tensions reached a new high in February when Musk made an unsolicited bid of $97.4 billion to acquire OpenAI. Altman responded by rejecting the offer, suggesting instead that they would consider purchasing Twitter for $9.74 billion.
The dispute took a personal turn when Musk referred to Altman as "swindly." In response, Altman criticized Musk, suggesting that his behavior stems from deep-seated insecurity and unhappiness.
OpenAI's Foray into Social Media
OpenAI's potential venture into social media follows Altman's recent announcement that the company's new image-based AI program has garnered significant popularity, causing strain on its servers.
However, this move has sparked controversy due to concerns of copyright infringement, as users have been able to replicate the unique style of Studio Ghibli, the renowned Japanese animation studio behind films like Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Altman's response to reports of Meta's plans to launch an AI app in competition with ChatGPT was a casual acknowledgment, hinting that OpenAI might consider a social app as well.
OpenAI recently concluded a $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank, a significant investment that places the valuation of the ChatGPT owner at $300 billion.
