The rivalry between two respected tech giants continues, which is evident in a congratulatory post that might have reignited the rift between the two former allies in AI tech. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk took a swipe at his rival, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, after the latter congratulated David Sacks for being nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump as the “White House AI and Crypto Czar.”
Elon Musk Mocks Altman In X Post
Analysts said that there is no love lost between the two tech titans who were previously allies in developing OpenAI.
Altman recently posted on X congratulating David Sacks who was appointed by Trump to oversee the crafting of cryptocurrency regulations in the US.
Musk responded to the OpenAI executive’s commendatory post with a laughing emoji, indicating that the SpaceX CEO is mocking his rival.
What seems to be an innocent post might have exposed the depth of the rift between Musk and Altman.
Wary Of Musk’s Political Influence
While attending The New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Altman believed that Musk would not use his political clout to harm his rivals, saying, “I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing.”
The OpenAI executive remarked that if Musk used his political power to hurt his competitors and advance his business, it would be profoundly “un-American.”
“I don’t think people would tolerate that,” Altman told Bloomberg.
Sacks’ appointment as Trump’s crypto czar shows the influence the SpaceX big boss has on the incoming administration.
Musk himself will be one of the heads of the US Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) which aims to cut federal spending by $2 trillion.
Former Partners
Elon Musk and Sam Altman are co-founders of OpenAI together with other tech enthusiasts. However, things didn’t work out between the two tech giants which led to their fallout.
The SpaceX CEO exited the maker of ChatGPT in 2018. Since leaving OpenAI, Musk has become a vocal critic of the top generative AI firm.
Elon Musk and Sam Altman (right). Credits: Marc Piasecki; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Musk condemned OpenAI for reneging on its founding principles. He portrayed the generative AI company as a for-profit firm that went back on its non-profit foundation, adding that it means OpenAI deceived its funders, the public, and regulators.
Moreover, Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against the AI company for harming rivals like his xAI by performing anticompetitive behavior.
He argued that Altman and his group are colluding with Microsoft, its primary financier, to hinder xAI from making progress in the field.
Altman denied Musk’s accusations, saying they perceived xAI as a “serious competitor.”
“I thought what Elon was doing was absolutely incredible for the world, and I have different feelings about him now, but I’m glad he exists,” Altman remarked.
Featured image from NPR, chart from TradingView