Elon Musk laughs at Jeff Bezos copying his AI idea: Here’s what happened

Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos may not trade direct blows in boardrooms, but their rivalry has always found a way to surface online. This week, it happened again and in a way that perfectly captures the dynamic between the two tech billionaires. Bezos made a high-profile return to the tech frontlines, and Musk responded with a two-word jab that instantly lit up social media.

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Here’s how it unfolded.

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Bezos returns to an operational role with a major AI push

Jeff Bezos has officially stepped back into the executive spotlight, taking on the role of co-CEO at Project Prometheus, a new artificial intelligence startup that has already secured around US$6.2 billion in funding. This marks his first major operational position since stepping down as Amazon’s CEO in 2021.

Prometheus isn’t aiming small. The company’s stated goal is to build “AI for the physical economy,” which essentially means applying advanced AI systems to industries such as aerospace, automotive, energy, robotics, and manufacturing, areas where both technical complexity and commercial stakes are extremely high.

The announcement alone was enough to stir considerable attention in the tech community. Billion-dollar funding, a heavyweight leadership team, and a promise to reshape industrial AI make the project hard to ignore.

And Musk certainly didn’t ignore it.

Musk reacts with a quick, sharp jab on X

A few hours after news of Prometheus broke, Musk posted a short message on X, the platform he owns:

The meaning was unmistakable. With just a few characters, Musk labelled Bezos a “copycat,” implying that Bezos’s new AI venture was trailing in the footsteps of Musk’s own company, xAI, which has been aggressively promoted as a major challenger in the fast-moving AI landscape.

The post immediately drew thousands of reactions, continuing Musk’s pattern of using humour, sarcasm and minimalism to comment on moves made by his closest competitors.

A rivalry with a long history

Musk calling Bezos a copycat isn’t new. Over the years, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has made similar accusations as their companies crossed paths in various sectors:

• SpaceX vs. Blue Origin in the space industry
  
• Starlink vs. Amazon’s Project Kuiper for satellite internet
  
• Tesla’s autonomous tech vs. Amazon-backed initiatives in mobility
  

Now, with both men backing AI ventures, the rivalry has simply shifted into a new domain.

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Prometheus’s industrial-AI focus overlaps with areas Musk frequently discusses – robotics, manufacturing automation and scalable compute – making his reaction feel more like a territorial response than a casual comment.

Why this exchange matters

Beyond the entertainment value of Musk’s post, the moment highlights a deeper trend: the most influential figures in tech are increasingly shaping the public narrative around AI through personal brands and online theatrics. For investors and the industry, the Musk-Bezos rivalry is not just about egos, it affects talent movement, competition for compute resources, and the speed at which new AI systems are pushed into the market.

With Prometheus entering the race and xAI expanding its ambitions, the friction between the two tech leaders is likely to intensify.

For now, the takeaway is simple: Bezos is back in the AI arena, and Musk is not thrilled, but he’s definitely amused.

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Vyom Ramani

A journalist with a soft spot for tech, games, and things that go beep. While waiting for a delayed metro or rebooting his brain, you’ll find him solving Rubik’s Cubes, bingeing F1, or hunting for the next great snack. View Full Profile