Musk: “OpenAI Will Eat Microsoft Alive”

Elon Musk has reignited rivalry in the AI sector, claiming that OpenAI—Microsoft’s strategic AI partner—will “eat Microsoft alive” following the rollout of GPT-5 across Microsoft 365 Copilot, GitHub Copilot, and Azure AI Foundry. The remark, made on X, comes as Musk continues to promote his own AI venture, xAI, and its Grok models.

Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 before leaving in 2018, asserted that “Grok 4 Heavy is still the most powerful AI” and promised “Grok 5… will be crushingly good” when launched later this year. His comments signal both a challenge to OpenAI’s capabilities and a bid to position xAI as a top contender in the race for AI dominance.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella responded with composure, writing, “People have been trying for 50 years and that’s the fun of it! Each day you learn something new, and innovate, partner, and compete. Excited for Grok 4 on Azure and looking forward to Grok 5!”

Nadella’s calm and optimistic tone earned praise from Indian industrialist Harsh Goenka, who called the exchange a “masterclass in leadership” for its diplomatic handling of competitive pressure.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, often a target of Musk’s criticism, appeared unfazed, indicating Musk’s remarks no longer command his attention.