Elon Musk unveils plans for new AI Company, TruthGPT, to rival OpenAI and Google

Twitter CEO Elon Musk recently revealed his intentions to establish a new artificial intelligence (AI) company, with aims to present a competitive alternative to industry leaders OpenAI and Google. This confirms speculations that the ambitious billionaire hired a small team of engineers to begin work on a potential AI venture.

During a Fox News interview, Musk disclosed that he has been contemplating the name “TruthGPT” for the venture, which seeks to develop a “maximum truth-seeking AI” that attempts to comprehend the nature of the universe and “hopefully does more good than harm.”

Musk admitted that he faces an uphill battle in the AI sector, as he is “starting late” compared to his rivals. The seriousness of his plans and how far they have progressed remains uncertain.

However, speculation regarding Musk’s AI aspirations has been growing, particularly as he has recently filed paperwork for a company named X.AI Corp. Insider also reported the Twitter CEO purchased around 10,000 graphic cards for the AI project. The connection between Musk’s X.AI Corp and his ambitious AI plans is unclear, but he is known to move employees between his companies.

The entrepreneur’s motivation for this venture stems from his apprehensions about the trajectory of AI and the potential dangers it poses to humanity. Notably, he was an early supporter of OpenAI, which he co-founded in 2015. However, Musk later distanced himself from the organisation due to a reported disagreement with Sam Altman over its leadership. More recently, Musk criticised OpenAI for establishing a for-profit spinoff and collaborating with Microsoft.

While the impact of Musk’s AI aspirations on Twitter is currently unclear, he did hint at an upcoming feature for the platform. He disclosed that Twitter is developing an optional direct message encryption function, which he hopes will be released “later this month, but no later than next month.”

Encrypted direct messaging has been a long-standing rumour, and Musk, a known admirer of encrypted messaging apps, has previously advocated for Signal-style encryption on Twitter. He explained that users engaged in sensitive conversations could simply activate the encryption feature, ensuring that “no one at Twitter can see what you’re talking about.”

As the plans for TruthGPT gradually take shape, it remains to be seen how this new venture will compete with established AI powerhouses such as OpenAI and Google. Regardless of the outcome, Musk’s ambitions in the AI space will undoubtedly continue to capture the attention of both industry insiders and the public.