OPENAI is reportedly developing a social media platform similar to X (formerly Twitter) according to a report by The Verge on Tuesday.
According to multiple sources, an internal prototype is already in the works, featuring a feed centered on ChatGPT’s image generation capabilities.
Moreover, The Verge reported that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has begun soliciting feedback from outsiders regarding the project.
Currently, it remains unclear whether the platform will be launched as a standalone app or integrated into the existing ChatGPT application, which just recently became the most downloaded app.
Launching a social network in or around ChatGPT would likely heighten Altman’s already-bitter rivalry with tech billionaire Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and the current owner of X.
In February, after Musk made an unsolicited offer to purchase OpenAI for $97.4 billion, Altman declined and responded with a jab: “no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”
This exchange was just part of the ongoing feud between the two former collaborators, which has escalated into lawsuits and public accusations.
Last year, Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman, alleging that the company had strayed from its original mission of being an open-source, nonprofit AI research organization and was now prioritizing profits through its partnership with Microsoft.
He claimed this violated the founding agreement.
Earlier this April, OpenAI filed a countersuit against Musk in a California federal court, accusing him of “nonstop actions” intended to harm the company.
The countersuit alleges that Musk’s $97.4 billion takeover bid was a “sham” designed to disrupt OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit model and to seize control of its AI technologies for personal gain.
OpenAI’s reported plan might also spark new tensions with Meta, which is reportedly developing a standalone app for its AI assistant, complete with social feed.
When early rumors of Meta’s ChatGPT competitor began making rounds months ago, Altman had also taken to X with a cheeky remark suggesting OpenAI might just enter the social space itself.
