OpenAI is quietly building its own social media network with similarities to Elon Musk’s X, formerly Twitter, according to a report by The Verge on Tuesday.
The report claims the AI company has developed an internal prototype that includes a social feed centered around ChatGPT’s image-generation capabilities.
While the project remains in its early stages, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly been seeking external feedback, though it’s still unclear whether the platform will launch as a standalone app or as a new feature within ChatGPT.
The development marks a potential flashpoint in the increasingly tense relationship between Altman and Elon Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI who parted ways with the organization in 2018. Musk, now the owner of X, has become a vocal critic of OpenAI’s direction, particularly its transition into a for-profit entity.
Tensions escalated earlier this year when Musk led a group of investors in a $97.4 billion bid to take control of OpenAI — a proposal that was swiftly declined by Altman. The standoff deepened when Musk sued OpenAI in late 2023, accusing the company of abandoning its original mission to develop AI for the benefit of humanity. OpenAI countered with its own lawsuit in March, accusing Musk of harassment and trying to obstruct its corporate evolution. The dispute is expected to go to a jury trial next spring.
Should OpenAI move forward with the social media venture, it would not only rival X but also pose fresh competition to Meta (formerly Facebook), which is reportedly developing its own standalone Meta AI service.
Altman hinted at OpenAI’s interest in the space earlier this year, responding to reports of Meta’s plans with a cryptic post on X: “ok fine maybe we’ll do a social app.”
