TLDR
- OpenAI is reportedly developing an X-like social media platform with a focus on ChatGPT’s image generation capabilities
- The project is still in early stages with an internal prototype featuring a social feed
- The move intensifies rivalries with Elon Musk’s X and Meta, which is also planning a social component for its AI assistant
- OpenAI and Musk are engaged in legal battles, with OpenAI countersuing Musk over alleged hostile takeover attempts
- A social platform could give OpenAI access to real-time user data for AI training, similar to what X and Meta already possess
OpenAI, led by CEO Sam Altman, is reportedly working on its own social media platform that could compete directly with Elon Musk’s X, according to recent reports from The Verge. The project remains in early development but centers around a social feed integrated with ChatGPT’s image generation capabilities.
Sources familiar with the matter indicate there is an internal prototype already being tested. Altman has allegedly begun seeking feedback from outsiders about the concept, though it’s unclear whether OpenAI plans to release it as a standalone app or integrate it into ChatGPT.
The move comes amid an escalating feud between Altman and Musk. The two tech leaders have been engaged in legal battles after Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in March, accusing the company of abandoning its nonprofit roots.
Legal Battles and Public Exchanges
OpenAI recently countersued Musk, claiming he attempted a hostile takeover with a $97 billion offer for the company. They’re seeking damages and a court order to block further interference from the billionaire entrepreneur.
The tension has spilled onto social media. When Musk made his unsolicited purchase offer in February, Altman responded on X: “No thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”
A judge denied Musk’s request to block OpenAI’s transition to a capped-profit structure but has fast-tracked the case for trial in fall 2025. OpenAI claims that Musk was actually the first to advocate for a for-profit model, provided he ran it.
Internal emails released by OpenAI show Musk proposing in 2017 to take control of the board and become CEO. “I would unequivocally have initial control of the company,” Musk wrote at the time.
The Race for AI-Powered Social Media
This potential new platform puts OpenAI in direct competition with both Musk’s X and Meta, which is reportedly developing its own AI assistant with social features. When reports of Meta’s plans first emerged, Altman posted on X: “Ok fine, maybe we’ll do a social app.”
ok fine maybe we'll do a social app https://t.co/663VkHN4qB
— Sam Altman (@sama) February 27, 2025
One key motivation behind OpenAI’s social media ambitions might be access to user data. A social platform would give OpenAI its own source of real-time data for training AI models, something that X and Meta already possess.
“The Grok integration with X has made everyone jealous,” said a source from another AI lab. “Especially how people create viral tweets by getting it to say something stupid.”
Musk has integrated his Grok AI model with X and recently merged X and xAI into a single company. Meanwhile, Meta trains its Llama model using data from its extensive social networks.
OpenAI’s Expanding Ambitions
The social network project represents just one aspect of OpenAI’s growing ambitions. The company recently secured a $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank in March, valuing it at $300 billion.
OpenAI also recently unveiled GPT-4.1, a trio of new AI models with context windows of up to one million tokens. These models can process entire codebases or small novels in a single prompt.
The release came just weeks after introducing GPT-4.5, creating what some industry observers have compared to a confusing timeline similar to the release order of Star Wars movies.
It remains uncertain if OpenAI’s social media project will ever be publicly released. The company has numerous initiatives underway, but the existence of this prototype reveals how OpenAI is thinking about expansion as investor expectations for growth continue to rise.
ChatGPT became the most downloaded app globally last month, potentially providing a ready user base for a social media feature should OpenAI choose to integrate it rather than launch a separate application.
For now, the project remains in early stages, but its development marks a new chapter in the ongoing competition between tech giants racing to dominate both artificial intelligence and social media landscapes.
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