Sam Altman’s OpenAI Reportedly Working on X-Like Social Media Platform Amidst Ongoing Feud With Elon Musk

Amid rising tensions and a legal battle between tech visionaries Sam Altman and Elon Musk, OpenAI is reportedly developing its own social media platform, similar to Musk’s X (formerly Twitter). According to sources familiar with the development, cited by The Verge, the platform is still in the early stages.

An internal prototype inspired by ChatGPT’s viral image generation feature, known for generating content in Studio Ghibli’s art style, reportedly “melted the company’s GPU” due to high demand and usage.

Sam Altman Personally Gauging Interest From Users

The Verge also revealed that Sam Altman has been quietly collecting feedback from select users regarding the project’s scope and potential. While it's not yet confirmed whether the platform will be a standalone app or integrated directly into ChatGPT, this move reflects OpenAI's broader ambitions to expand beyond AI and step into the competitive social media space.

Legal Tensions Intensify Between Musk and Altman

The timing of this development is noteworthy, as it coincides with escalating hostilities between Musk and Altman. Once co-founders of OpenAI, the two tech moguls have now taken their differences to court. Musk, who also leads X, Tesla, and SpaceX, departed OpenAI in 2018, just three years after helping launch the company in 2015.

In a significant twist, a group of investors led by Elon Musk made an unsolicited $97.4 billion bid to acquire control of OpenAI earlier this year. According to reports, Altman flatly rejected the offer with a sharp “no thank you.”

Counter-Lawsuits Add Fuel to the Fire

Musk has accused OpenAI of straying from its original non-profit mission and filed a lawsuit against Altman and the company, claiming it no longer serves public interest. In response, OpenAI countersued Musk in April, stating that he was attempting to disrupt the company’s transition to a for-profit model for personal gain.

A strong rebuttal was posted by OpenAI’s official account on X:
“Elon’s non-stop actions against us are just bad-faith tactics to slow down OpenAI and seize control of the leading AI innovations for his personal benefit. Today, we counter-sued to stop him.”

A Direct Challenge to Meta and X?

OpenAI’s potential move into social networking doesn’t only put it at odds with X—it could also challenge Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg. Earlier this year, Meta reportedly began developing a standalone Meta AI app to rival ChatGPT. In response to the news, Altman posted on X, saying, “Ok. Fine. Maybe we’ll do a social app.”

Backed by Record Funding

This push into social media comes shortly after OpenAI raised $40 billion, achieving a $300 billion valuation—the largest private tech funding round in history. This massive funding injection could be the fuel OpenAI needs to diversify into consumer-facing platforms and applications beyond language models.

Conclusion: A New Frontier in the AI vs Social Media Showdown

The reported development of a social media platform by OpenAI marks a significant turning point for the company and for the broader tech industry. While OpenAI has earned a reputation as a frontrunner in the AI revolution with tools like ChatGPT and DALL·E, this move indicates a shift toward mainstream, interactive consumer platforms—potentially disrupting existing players like X and Meta.

More than just a rivalry between Altman and Musk, this is a clash of tech ideologies and ambitions. With the backing of historic funding and increasing public interest in AI-generated content, OpenAI may well have the resources and talent to create a compelling alternative to today’s social networks.

As the legal and technological battles unfold, all eyes will be on how OpenAI leverages its strengths to reshape the digital landscape—not just through intelligence, but interaction.