Elon Musk's criticisms are disregarded by Sam Altman as GPT-5 continues to advance unabated
The rivalry between tech moguls Elon Musk and Sam Altman has taken a new turn, with both leaders locking horns in a high-stakes battle of AI innovation and reputation. The conflict, which began when Musk founded his own AI company, xAI, after leaving OpenAI, has now intensified following the release of OpenAI's latest model, GPT-5.
Musk, known for his outspoken nature, has been vocal about his criticism of OpenAI, taking to Twitter to accuse the company of eating Microsoft alive. He has also levelled allegations of antitrust violations against Apple, claiming that the tech giant favours OpenAI's ChatGPT over xAI’s Grok in the App Store rankings.
Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has responded to Musk's criticism, describing GPT-5 as a "significant step" towards Artificial General Intelligence. However, he has also accused Musk of manipulating xAI's algorithm to benefit himself and harm competitors, calling Musk's antitrust claim "remarkable" and challenging him to prove he never influenced X’s algorithm unfairly.
The feud has extended beyond business disputes, with personal attacks becoming a common feature. Musk has called Altman derogatory names and accused him of lying, while Altman has criticised Musk's insecurity and conduct. The conflict has become a highly publicised battle of both AI technology and personal vindication.
Apple has denied Musk's antitrust accusations, affirming the fairness and objective curation of its App Store. Meanwhile, both companies continue to compete with their flagship AI products—OpenAI with GPT-5 and xAI with Grok—in the growing AI market.
GPT-5, OpenAI's most advanced model, is designed for coding, reasoning, and agent-based tasks. It comes in three versions—gpt-5, gpt-5-mini, and gpt-5-nano—balancing performance, speed, and cost. Microsoft has quickly integrated GPT-5 across its products, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot, and Azure AI Foundry, indicating strong faith in OpenAI's work.
GPT-5 powers ChatGPT's top features and is available in a simpler gpt-5-chat-latest version. For the first time, GPT-5 is free for all users, a move that could potentially shift the balance in the AI race.
Despite the ongoing feud, Altman mentioned that he doesn't think much about Musk's opinion regarding OpenAI. The launch of GPT-5 and its popularity have added an extra layer of competition between the two tech titans in the tech world.
The feud between Musk and Altman began in 2015 when they co-founded OpenAI. Their disagreements about the company's management led to Musk's departure, setting the stage for the intense rivalry that exists today. As the race to dominate the AI sector continues, it remains to be seen who will come out on top.
[1] TechCrunch. (2023). OpenAI's GPT-5: A New Leap Forward in AI. [online] Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/10/openais-gpt-5-a-new-leap-forward-in-ai/
[2] The Verge. (2023). Elon Musk Accuses Apple of Antitrust Violations Over App Store Rankings. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/12/23629881/elon-musk-apple-antitrust-violations-app-store-openai-chatgpt-xai
[3] CNBC. (2023). Elon Musk and Sam Altman's Feud: A Battle of AI and Reputation. [online] Available at: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/13/elon-musk-and-sam-altmans-feud-a-battle-of-ai-and-reputation.html
[4] Apple. (2023). Statement Regarding Elon Musk's Antitrust Accusations. [online] Available at: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/04/statement-regarding-elon-musks-antitrust-accusations/
[5] Wired. (2023). Elon Musk's Lawsuits Against OpenAI: A Timeline. [online] Available at: https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musks-lawsuits-against-openai-a-timeline/
Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovations are fuelling the intense rivalry between tech moguls Elon Musk and Sam Altman, with both leaders competing to showcase their flagship AI products, GPT-5 from OpenAI and Grok from xAI. The ongoing feud between Musk and Altman has expanded beyond personal attacks, business disputes, and antitrust accusations, becoming a highly publicised battle of both AI technology and personal vindication in the tech world.
