Sam Altman heaps praise on Elon Musk for remarkable success of OpenAI, calls him 'magnet'

Sam Altman acknowledges Elon Musk's significant impact on OpenAI's early development during a podcast, describing the Tesla chief as a "magnet for talent and attention.

OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman has praised Elon Musk's significant early contributions to the company and describes his "uniqueness" on a podcast. (AFP)

When ChatGPT was unveiled in November 2022, the world was amazed by its capabilities. People used it for crafting content, poetry, music, and generating ideas. OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and its CEO, Sam Altman, became well-known globally because of this AI tool. Over time, more details emerged, revealing that Twitter's owner, Elon Musk, was also involved with OpenAI a few years ago. Musk, however, left the company in 2018, long before the AI chatbot's rise to fame.

Lately, Musk and Altman have engaged in public disagreements. Musk has expressed concerns about ChatGPT, while Altman criticised a letter from Musk and other tech experts calling for a pause in AI development, citing a lack of technical nuance. In fact, Musk had even objected to OpenAI's very close links to Microsoft, alleging that it was even controlled by the tech major. 

However, Altman has now praised Elon Musk, suggesting that Musk possesses special qualities that greatly benefited OpenAI during its early years.

Altman Highlights Musk's Unique Abilities

According to a report in Fortune, Altman appeared on the In Good Company podcast recently, where he described Elon Musk as a "magnet for talent and attention" for OpenAI. Altman also mentioned that Musk had some extraordinary abilities that were incredibly helpful to OpenAI in its early stages. Although Altman didn't specify these "superpowers," he acknowledged their significance.

Sam Altman Reflects on Musk's Departure from OpenAI

Last month, The New Yorker provided insights into the situation at OpenAI when Elon Musk left the organisation. Altman revealed that Musk's departure had been challenging, as he had to reorganise his life and allocate more time to ensure that the company had sufficient funding. Altman added that Musk had a deep desire to save the world but on his own terms.

In short, Sam Altman has recognised Elon Musk's exceptional contributions to OpenAI's early days, characterising him as a magnet for talent and attention. Musk's unique "superpowers" played a vital role in shaping OpenAI's trajectory during its formative years, he added.