Altman told staff OpenAI avoids chasing trends, referencing debates around “masculine energy” in corporate culture.
The remarks contrast with Zuckerberg’s public defence of masculinity in the workplace during a Joe Rogan podcast.
The exchange comes as OpenAI and Meta continue competing aggressively for top AI talent.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman mocked Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an internal message to employees while discussing corporate culture. In a Slack post, Altman criticised shifting ideological trends in the tech industry, emphasising that OpenAI has avoided aligning with whatever ideas are popular at the time.
SurveyWithout mentioning Meta or Zuckerberg by name, Altman stated that OpenAI did not embrace concepts such as “masculine corporate energy” when they gained traction, nor did it radically reposition itself during periods when more overtly “woke” messaging was popular. The statements were part of a larger message that addressed concerns about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to Business Insider.
“We didn’t start talking about masculine corporate energy when that was popular,” Altman told employees as cited by the employees.
Altman’s new comments appear to be in stark contrast to what Zuckerberg has previously stated publicly. During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience last year, Meta CEO argued for a return to “masculine energy” in corporate environments. Zuckerberg claimed that modern workplaces had strayed too far from traits such as competitiveness and aggression in order to be more inclusive, despite the fact that the original intent was good.
This comes amid increasing competition between OpenAI and Meta, particularly in the race for top AI talent. Both companies have been involved in aggressive hiring battles, with Meta reportedly offering unusually large compensation packages to attract OpenAI researchers. While Altman has previously stated that the majority of OpenAI’s key employees have declined such offers, Meta has successfully recruited several high-profile figures involved in the development of ChatGPT and OpenAI’s European operations.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
