ChatGPT boss ridiculed for online 'tantrum' over rival's Super Bowl ad

The boss of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is being ridiculed for launching a lengthy attack on a rival chatbot firm over the adverts it intends to run during the Super Bowl.

In a 420 word-long post on X, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hit back, calling Anthropic "dishonest" and "deceptive" - and even accusing the firm of using "doublespeak".

But commenters on social media have turned the accusation back on Altman, with some likening his post to "the digital equivalent of a toddler throwing a tantrum".

"The reason Anthropic's satirical ads went viral is precisely because public trust in you and OpenAI has already hit rock bottom over the past few months," reads one prominent comment.

Altman also took issue with Anthropic's decision to run the videos during the Super Bowl on 8 February.

"I guess it's on brand for Anthropic doublespeak to use a deceptive ad to critique theoretical deceptive ads that aren't real, but a Super Bowl ad is not where I would expect it," he wrote.

He justified the introduction of adverts by saying it was because OpenAI was committed to "free access" and "agency" for ChatGPT users.

"Anthropic serves an expensive product to rich people," he said, and argued his company sought to "bring AI to billions of people who can't pay for subscriptions".

But Nikita Bier, the head of product at X, offered Altman some simple advice for the future.

"Never respond to playful humour with an essay," he said.

The BBC has approached Anthropic for comment.

The firm's adverts depict a range of scenarios intended to make fun of how carrying adverts could negatively impact the way people use chatbots.

One features a man talking to a therapist about how to communicate better with his mum - the kind of query a user might put to ChatGPT.

The therapist initially responds with some common-sense suggestions for the user, before jarringly veering into what appears to be a dating service for older women.

It then ends with the slogan: "Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude."

Despite the humorous tone, the fact Anthropic is screening the ads during the Super Bowl - the most expensive and high-profile marketing opportunity in the US - shows it does not really see its rivalry with OpenAI as a laughing matter.

Experts say a 30-second commercial during what is one of the world's most-watched sporting events could cost up to $10m (£7.4m).

Though this is dwarfed by the many hundreds of billions AI companies are ploughing into the tech.