Conflict between Sam Altman and Elon Musk could escalate into outer space

The rivalry between Sam Altman and Elon Musk could soon extend beyond Earth, with the potential to reach outer space. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, is considering either forming a partnership with a rocket company or acquiring one outright to challenge Musk's SpaceX. This move could involve a significant financial risk for Altman, potentially amounting to billions of dollars. The details of any ongoing discussions, however, remain unclear.

At the height of the AI market boom, Altman reportedly reached out to Stoke Space, a startup founded in 2020 by former employees of Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. Altmans proposals reportedly included making equity investments in Stoke with the intention of securing a controlling interest. However, these negotiations have since stalled, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Currently, OpenAI has shifted its focus to other priorities. On Monday, Altman sent a memo to staff declaring a "code red" and directing the team to concentrate exclusively on enhancing ChatGPT. This directive includes delaying work on other projects, which likely includes any space-related initiatives. Altman has a prior connection to Stoke Space, having previously run Y Combinator, the startup accelerator that helped fund the company. He has also discussed the possibility of creating a rocket company on several podcasts in the past.

If Altman proceeds with his space ambitions, it would mark yet another domain where he finds himself in direct competition with Musk. Musk, who was a co-founder of OpenAI, parted ways with the organization after attempting to merge it with Tesla in 2018. Earlier this year, Musk attempted to buy OpenAI but was rejected. In recent years, Musk has been one of Altmans most outspoken critics, filing multiple lawsuits against OpenAI and establishing his own AI company to rival OpenAI. Furthermore, Altman has launched a startup in competition with Musk's Neuralink, and OpenAI is working on a social media platform intended to rival Musk's X.

Author: Ava Mitchell