OpenAI is currently developing its own social network prototype focused on ChatGPT image generation, with internal testing already underway.
According to Reuters, the prototype social media platform is modeled after Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) and is reportedly in its early development stages, featuring a social feed built around ChatGPT’s image generation capabilities.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly been privately seeking feedback from outsiders about the new platform, signaling the company’s growing interest in social content distribution.
However, it remains unclear whether the company plans to release the social network as a standalone app or incorporate it into its ChatGPT ecosystem.
Musk’s $97.4 billion offer
In February 2025, a consortium led by Elon Musk made an unsolicited bid to acquire OpenAI’s nonprofit parent company for $97.4 billion.
The offer was rejected by OpenAI’s board on February 14, 2025, with the board stating that OpenAI is not for sale and any future bids would be disingenuous. The board emphasized its commitment to its nonprofit mission to benefit humanity with artificial general intelligence (AGI).
Musk’s lawyer argued that OpenAI’s plan to create a public benefit corporation would enrich certain board members rather than the charity.
In response to Musk’s offer, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly declined the proposal on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“No, thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”
This comment was widely interpreted as a public jab at Musk, highlighting the intensifying rivalry between the two AI leaders.
OpenAI and Musk’s legal feud
OpenAI countersued Elon Musk, accusing the billionaire of harassment and seeking a U.S. federal court order to block him from taking any “further unlawful and unfair action” against the company.
The legal action follows Musk’s initial lawsuit in 2024, where he challenged OpenAI’s restructuring plans and accused the company of abandoning its founding mission by prioritizing profit over the broader benefit of humanity. Although Musk withdrew the suit in June, he reignited the legal battle by filing a new one in August.
OpenAI was co-founded by Musk and current CEO Sam Altman in 2015. However, the two have remained at odds for years, particularly as OpenAI transitions from a complex nonprofit setup into a more conventional for-profit entity.
Strategic move to gather real-time user data
Building a social network would offer OpenAI access to real-time, user-generated data, similar to the vast datasets that X and Meta currently leverage to train their respective AI models, Grok and Llama.
According to reports, part of the motivation behind the social prototype is to explore ways for AI to help users create and share better content, potentially turning ChatGPT into a hub for real-time conversations and media.
