As I take in the view of Alcatraz Island from a Mediterranean restaurant in San Francisco, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman enters, phone in hand. I comment on his lack of a phone case, realizing quickly that the CEO, with Apple veteran Jony Ive in his employ, values design over the cost of replacing a damaged device.
Altman remarks about OpenAI and Ive’s upcoming AI device, jokingly cautioning against using a protective case. The dinner with OpenAI executives and tech reporters left more questions than answers.
Considering ChatGPT’s VP Nick Turley’s hospitality, I wonder if it’s an effort to sway opinions following the underwhelming launch of GPT-5, which, unlike GPT-4, only matches competitors like Google and Anthropic. The reintroduction of GPT-4o and model picker comes after feedback on GPT-5’s tone.
The event highlighted OpenAI’s future direction beyond GPT-5, focusing less on model launches and more on challenges in search, hardware, and software fields. OpenAI plans to expand its consumer app range under incoming CEO of applications Fidji Simo, with potential launches including an AI browser to compete with Chrome and possibly acquiring Chrome if it were to sell.
OpenAI’s vision includes an AI-driven social media platform, reflecting Altman’s dissatisfaction with AI’s current role in social media and interest in creating more exhilarating experiences. While Altman led discussions, he confirmed OpenAI’s intent to support Merge Labs, a competitor to Musk’s Neuralink.
These ventures, along with investments in data centers, robotics, and energy, suggest OpenAI’s ambition extends beyond ChatGPT, looking perhaps to mirror the diversity of Google’s parent company, Alphabet. OpenAI might pursue going public, aiming for recognition beyond its leading AI models.