OpenAI is reportedly building a secret social network to rival X and Meta

OpenAI is working on a new social network built around ChatGPT, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans.

The Verge reports that OpenAI has already developed an internal prototype of a social feed that leans heavily on image generation powered by ChatGPT. Though the project is still in early stages, CEO Sam Altman has been seeking outside feedback on its potential.

“While the project is still in early stages, we’re told there’s an internal prototype focused on ChatGPT’s image generation that has a social feed. CEO Sam Altman has been privately asking outsiders for feedback about the project,” The Verge reported, citing sources.

What exactly the final product might look like is unclear. It could end up as a standalone app, a new layer inside ChatGPT, or not launch at all. That ambiguity hasn’t stopped speculation, especially after Altman jokingly responded to Meta’s push into AI social apps with, “ok fine, maybe we’ll do a social app.”

The prototype reportedly centers around allowing users to create and share content, particularly images, using ChatGPT. It’s part social feed, part AI sandbox, and all eyes are on how this could shift OpenAI’s position in a space currently dominated by Musk’s X and Zuckerberg’s Meta.

Why it matters

If OpenAI moves forward with a social app, it could challenge two of the biggest tech platforms on their home turf—and flip the AI training advantage in its favor. X and Meta already use real-time user data to train their models. OpenAI doesn’t have that—yet. A social layer could close that gap while giving millions of users new ways to create, share, and engage with AI-powered content. It’s not just about beating rivals—it’s about building the next data engine for AI itself.

The move would mark a strategic shift for OpenAI, which so far has stayed out of the social space. But if launched, this new product could bring two major advantages: one, direct competition with platforms already using AI to boost engagement, and two, access to real-time user data. That’s something Musk and Meta already rely on heavily to train Grok and Llama, their respective AI models.

Musk recently merged X with xAI, making the connection between social engagement and AI training more explicit. Meta is expected to do something similar by adding a social feed to its upcoming standalone AI app. With ChatGPT already one of the most downloaded apps in the world, OpenAI wouldn’t need much to get millions of users to test a new feature, especially one that taps into the kind of viral content the platform has already popularized, like Studio Ghibli-style image trends.

A source at another major AI lab noted how other companies are paying close attention to how Grok is being used to drive viral posts. “The Grok integration with X has made everyone jealous,” they said. “Especially how people create viral tweets by getting it to say something stupid.”

Altman’s rivalry with Musk hasn’t exactly cooled off either. Back in February, Musk offered to buy OpenAI for $97.4 billion. Altman replied, “No, thank you, but we will buy Twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”

Whether this project launches or not, it signals how OpenAI is thinking about its next phase. Beyond just building smarter models, the company appears to be looking for ways to collect fresh, human-generated content at scale—and keep users engaged in the process.