Artificial superintelligence has been a focus for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman since last year.
It looks like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is setting his sights on Elon Musk’s X and Mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram with a new social network. According to reports from CNBC and The Verge, OpenAI is quietly developing the platform behind the scenes, though it’s still in its early stages.
Details about the social network remain scarce, including what features it will offer or how it will stand out from existing platforms. However, reports suggest OpenAI has developed an internal prototype centered around ChatGPT’s image generation capabilities, complete with a social feed. It’s still unclear whether the company intends to launch a standalone app or integrate the experience into the existing ChatGPT app.
OpenAI’s motivation for entering the social networking space remains uncertain, but some speculate it’s tied to the recent launch of its image generator powered by GPT-4o. Released last month, the tool lets users create Studio Ghibli-inspired visuals from simple text prompts. A generative filter mimicking Ghibli’s iconic “house style” has taken off online, flooding social media timelines with whimsical, wide-eyed selfies and anime-style reinterpretations of iconic photographs.
With the feature taking the internet by storm—turning everyday photos into anime-style images—OpenAI may be eyeing a broader social media play. The viral success of the image-generation tool, which has sparked a wave of memes, reimagined movie stills, and edgy photos turned irresistibly cute, could be fueling the company’s interest in building a platform that captures and amplifies that creative momentum.
In a TED interview late last week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that ChatGPT’s user base is “growing very rapidly,” noting it had doubled in just a few weeks. According to Altman, one in ten people globally now use OpenAI’s systems, with the company benefiting from a surge of interest in its new image-generation capabilities.
Back in February, OpenAI reported that weekly active users had surpassed 400 million—up from 300 million in December—highlighting the rapid adoption of its tools. The number of paying business users also topped 2 million. Just last month, the high-profile AI startup announced a staggering $40 billion funding round, pushing its valuation to an eye-popping $300 billion.
OpenAI shot to prominence with the launch of ChatGPT, which became the fastest-growing web application in history—reaching 100 million monthly active users just two months after its debut. While several competitors, including Google’s Gemini, have since rolled out similar AI chatbots, none have managed to outperform the GPT model that powers ChatGPT.
As OpenAI faces growing pressure to expand the user base of its flagship ChatGPT app, its potential pivot into social networking may invite increased scrutiny—particularly amid intensifying legal and regulatory concerns around the industry. Social media companies have long been criticized for mishandling harmful content and failing to adequately protect teen users.
The timing of OpenAI’s rumored move is notable, arriving just as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies in a landmark antitrust case brought by the FTC. The case alleges that Meta illegally maintained its dominance by acquiring smaller rivals, and the outcome could have sweeping implications—including the potential breakup of the company’s $1.3 trillion business empire.
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