A fierce war of words has erupted between two of the most prominent figures in the technology industry, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing rivalry between OpenAI and xAI. Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, issued a scathing rebuttal to Elon Musk after the Tesla billionaire publicly advised people to prevent their family members from using the popular artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT.
Okay News reports that the exchange was ignited on social media when Musk posted a brief but stark warning on his platform, X. In the post, Musk simply stated, “Don’t let your loved ones use ChatGPT,” implying that the tool poses inherent risks to users. The comment aligns with Musk’s history of criticizing OpenAI’s safety protocols while simultaneously promoting his own competing AI product, Grok.
Altman responded directly to the post, highlighting what he perceived as a contradiction in Musk’s criticisms. He noted that Musk frequently complains that ChatGPT is too “restrictive” or “woke,” yet in this instance, he appeared to be arguing that the system is too relaxed or dangerous. Altman emphasized that with a user base approaching one billion people, OpenAI bears a “huge responsibility” to protect users who may be in fragile mental states, acknowledging that balancing safety guardrails with utility is a genuinely difficult task.
However, the response quickly pivoted from defense to offense. Altman drew a sharp comparison between the safety of software chatbots and physical hardware, specifically targeting Musk’s automotive ventures. He cited reports indicating that more than 50 people have died in crashes related to Tesla’s Autopilot system. Recounting his own experience riding in a car using the feature, Altman described it as feeling “far from a safe thing” for Tesla to have released to the public.
The OpenAI CEO did not stop at Tesla, also taking a swipe at Musk’s AI chatbot, Grok. He criticized the decision-making processes behind Grok’s development before delivering a final, personal blow. Altman concluded his message by telling Musk, “You take ‘every accusation is a confession’ so far,” suggesting that Musk’s warnings about AI safety may be a projection of the risks associated with his own companies.
