OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently addressed his ongoing public conflict with Elon Musk. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Altman described Musk as a bully who only respects those who stand up to him. He noted that he remains open to future collaboration with Musk despite their history of legal disputes and public disagreements.
The tension between the two escalated in July when Musk publicly labeled Altman a scammer on social media. Altman responded by criticizing Musk's proposal for orbital data centers, a concept he has previously questioned. Altman stated that he does not view himself as the primary source of their ongoing friction.
Despite these personal conflicts, major AI companies are coordinating on safety standards. OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, Google, and Nvidia have signed a White House-backed agreement to implement voluntary safety measures. Altman confirmed that while there is no single group chat for industry leaders, they maintain communication through meetings and phone calls.
