Sam Altman Claps Back at Elon Musk’s Claims of ChatGPT Bias
In a fiery exchange that has captured the attention of the tech world, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has taken a stand against Elon Musk’s accusations that ChatGPT exhibits a left-wing bias. The spat ignited when Altman shared a comparison of responses from ChatGPT and Musk’s own AI chatbot, Grok, regarding who would make a better president: Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. The results were surprising and have sparked a lively debate online.
When posed with the question, Grok, Musk’s chatbot, surprisingly chose Kamala Harris over Donald Trump, providing an explanation for its choice. This is particularly noteworthy given Musk’s well-known support for Trump and his plans to join the former president’s administration. On the other hand, ChatGPT sidestepped the question of who would be the “better” president, opting instead for a more analytical approach by comparing the candidates’ policies without taking a definitive stance.
Altman wasted no time in highlighting this contrast. He shared a screenshot of both chatbots’ responses on X (formerly Twitter), captioning it with a cheeky remark: “Which one is supposed to be the left-wing propaganda machine again?” While he didn’t directly name Musk, it was clear that the post was aimed at the billionaire, who has previously criticized ChatGPT as being “too woke” and claimed it was suffering from the “woke mind virus.”
The tension between Altman and Musk is not new. The two co-founded OpenAI in 2015, but Musk departed the organization in 2018 due to disagreements over its direction. Since then, their relationship has soured, culminating in Musk filing a lawsuit against OpenAI earlier this year. Recently, he expanded this lawsuit, alleging that OpenAI is monopolizing the generative AI market and compromising safety in its quest for dominance.
Musk’s xAI startup, launched last year, has been positioned as a competitor to OpenAI. In his amended complaint, Musk’s legal team accused OpenAI and its partner Microsoft of attempting to eliminate competition by coercing investors into not funding rival companies. “Microsoft and OpenAI, apparently unsatisfied with their monopoly, or near so, in generative artificial intelligence, are now actively trying to eliminate competitors, such as xAI,” the filing stated.
As the rivalry between these tech titans intensifies, the debate over AI bias and the future of generative AI continues to unfold. With Altman and Musk at the forefront, the stakes are high, and the implications for the industry could be profound. As both sides prepare for what could be a lengthy legal battle, observers are left wondering how this feud will shape the landscape of artificial intelligence in the years to come.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops!
