Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg on a Mission to Crush the “Father” of ChatGPT in AI Battle!
The race to dominate artificial intelligence was never going to be polite. But what’s happening in Silicon Valley in 2025 looks more like a mix between Succession and Black Mirror than a traditional technological competition. It’s no longer just about code. It’s about power, control, and a quickly closing window of opportunity to dominate the most transformative technology in history.
At the center of this battle: three men, three worldviews, and one ultimate goal.
### 1. Sam Altman vs. Elon Musk
This showdown is personal and legal. Musk and Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a non-profit organization dedicated to developing safe and open-source artificial intelligence. But the partnership collapsed when Musk unsuccessfully tried to take control in 2018. He left bitterly and has since been constantly attacking OpenAI.
In 2023, Musk sued OpenAI and Altman, accusing them of betraying the original mission by aligning with Microsoft and prioritizing profits over safety. The lawsuit is still pending in federal courts. Among other things, it alleges that ChatGPT is a commercially funded closed-source weapon backed by big tech companies and shrouded in secrecy.
Altman denies any betrayal, and OpenAI has countersued. The legal battle is intense, and both parties have issued subpoenas to obtain internal documents.
Meanwhile, Musk’s company, xAI, is developing its own ChatGPT rival and launching it on X (formerly Twitter).
This is a public and costly showdown to define who gets to decide what ethical artificial intelligence means.
### 2. Sam Altman vs. Microsoft
They were supposed to be allies. Microsoft has invested over $13 billion in OpenAI and uses ChatGPT to power Bing, Copilot, and Azure. But now the relationship is becoming increasingly strained and could end in a breakup.
Microsoft has quietly built its own internal artificial intelligence team called MAI, developing foundational models independent of OpenAI. They want more control, fewer surprises, and perhaps a complete replacement.
On the other hand, Altman has transformed OpenAI into a hybrid between a company and a foundation. They are making their own chips, launching an AI app store, and rapidly expanding into hardware and enterprise services. Microsoft sees this as direct competition.
It’s a fragile alliance, sustained by mutual convenience but on the verge of collapse.
### 3. Sam Altman vs. Mark Zuckerberg
It’s the quietest yet possibly the most ruthless war. In 2025, Meta has made artificial intelligence its top priority, and Zuckerberg is going head-to-head with Altman’s team.
In recent months, according to Altman, Meta has offered signing bonuses of over $100 million to OpenAI researchers to attract talent. So far, most have remained loyal to Altman. But the size of the offers has shaken all of Silicon Valley.
In a podcast with his brother, Altman was straightforward: “They started making these gigantic offers to many on our team, like $100 million signing bonuses. It’s crazy.” He also accused Meta of “trying to copy OpenAI, even down to interface errors.”
Zuckerberg’s strategy is clear: spend more, recruit more, endure more. Although Meta’s AI tools are still basic compared to ChatGPT, with enough hires and acquisitions (like the rumored purchase of the voice startup PlayAI), Meta hopes to make a big leap.
What’s at stake: Zuckerberg not only seeks to dominate AI but also to stay relevant. If Meta fails to catch up with its competitors, it could be left behind in a world where artificial intelligence, not social networks, will be the next big technological platform.
### Our Vision
The race for artificial intelligence has turned into a battle of personalities. Altman, the tech missionary. Musk, the chaos capitalist. Zuckerberg, the empire builder. Each believes they are the only one capable of leading humanity into a new era of intelligence.
What’s at stake here is the control of 21st-century infrastructure: who owns the models, who trains the machines, and who decides what AI should think.
Big money is on the line, with judgments, citations, and talent wars showing that they’re willing to burn billions to come out on top.
### Lost in Translation
This article has been translated from Gizmodo US by Lucas Handley. You can find the original version.
