OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has spoken about his long-running feud with Elon Musk and said some level of conflict may be unavoidable if the two are expected to work together. In an interview with Vanity Fair (via Business Insider), Altman said he is willing to work with Musk despite their public clashes and legal disputes. He also called Musk a bully. “I think once in a while you’ve got to punch a bully back in the nose,” Altman told Vanity Fair. “And I also think Elon, like many bullies, only respects people who do.”
Altman and Musk were once allies and were among the people who helped start OpenAI. Their relationship later broke down, leading to a bitter public dispute and multiple legal battles. Despite this history, Altman said he would still work with Musk as the AI industry faces growing concerns around safety. “If you want me to be able to work with him, maybe you should be happy I hit back once in a while, but I will work with Elon, of course,” he said.
Altman also acknowledged that he is not above criticism. “I won’t call myself a saint,” he said. However, he added that he does not believe he is the main problem in his dispute with Musk. “I’m not sure if I’m the one that you’re supposed to come after between Elon and me,” he said.
In July, Musk criticised Altman after another account accused him of “Scam Altman.” Musk responded to the post by writing, “He takes scamming to a whole new level.”
Altman later responded by mocking Musk’s support for orbital data centres. “Homeboy you’re the one selling public market investors on short-term space datacenters,” Altman wrote.
OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceXAI, Google and Nvidia leaders recently signed a White House-backed agreement that included voluntary AI safety measures.
Altman also recently said AI companies continue to communicate despite their rivalries. “There’s no like big WhatsApp that everybody’s in,” he said. “But there’s like lots of, you know, people are running into each other at the same conference. There’s calls, occasional meetings, stuff like that.”