Sam Altman Talks Life After GPT-5 While Sharing Bread Rolls

I’m sitting at a Mediterranean restaurant in San Francisco, overlooking Alcatraz Island, with dishes costing hundreds of dollars. As I engage with fellow journalists, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman unexpectedly walks in to my left. Focused on his bare iPhone, he has something to share, leading me to remark, “No phone case? Brave choice.”

It hits me that Altman, the billionaire head of OpenAI who employs Apple veteran Jony Ive, likely prioritizes the iPhone’s sleek design over the $1,000 cost of a replacement.

“We’re preparing to unveil a device that will be exceptionally beautiful,” Altman remarked, referring to the forthcoming AI device from OpenAI and Ive. “If you put a case on it, I will personally track you down,” he added jokingly.

Altman had brought together around a dozen tech reporters for an on-the-record dinner, followed by off-the-record dessert. The evening left us with more questions than answers.

For instance, why was Nick Turley, VP of ChatGPT, generously offering me a lamb skewer just a week after the GPT-5 launch? Was this an attempt to influence my coverage of OpenAI’s most anticipated AI model release to date, which had garnered some disappointment after years of hype?

While GPT-4 outperformed its competitors and surpassed expectations, GPT-5 appears to be on par with models from Google and Anthropic. OpenAI even reverted to GPT-4o, reintroducing the model picker after users expressed concerns about the tone and routing of GPT-5.

As the night unfolded, it became clear that this gathering was about OpenAI’s vision beyond GPT-5. Executives conveyed that the significance of AI model launches has diminished compared to the buzz around GPT-4’s debut in 2023. OpenAI is now positioning itself as a different player, taking on established names in search, consumer hardware, and enterprise software.

OpenAI shared new insights into these projects.

Altman mentioned that OpenAI’s new CEO of applications, Fidji Simo, would be leading various consumer applications beyond ChatGPT—apps that have yet to be unveiled. Simo’s role will commence soon with her possibly overseeing an AI-enhanced browser aimed at rivaling Chrome.

Altman alluded to the possibility that OpenAI might even consider acquiring Chrome—an offer likely to be regarded more seriously than Perplexity’s proposal—if it becomes available. “If Chrome is actually for sale, we should look into it,” he said, surveying the table and asking, “Is it really going on the market? I thought it wouldn’t.”

Simo could also be at the helm of an AI-driven social media platform, a direction Altman expressed interest in exploring. He noted that he finds “nothing” inspiring about current AI applications in social media, and is eager to see “if we can create a much cooler kind of social experience with AI.”

While Turley and OpenAI’s COO, Brad Lightcap, largely let Altman take center stage, enjoying wine with other guests, Altman did confirm that OpenAI plans to invest in a brain-computer interface startup, Merge Labs, in order to compete with Elon Musk’s Neuralink. (“We haven’t finalized that deal yet; I’d like us to move forward.”)

The specifics of this company’s integration with OpenAI’s models and devices remain unclear. Altman simply described it as “a company that we’d invest in.”

With all these initiatives—and others OpenAI is pursuing in data centers, robotics, and energy—it’s evident that Altman envisions a company that extends beyond just being the maker of ChatGPT. The ultimate shape may resemble something akin to Google’s parent company, Alphabet, but potentially even broader.

In the coming years, it seems likely that OpenAI will go public to meet its substantial capital needs. I suspect Altman aims to strengthen his rapport with the media. Additionally, OpenAI appears eager to evolve beyond being solely defined by its flagship AI model.