Sam Altman says Anthropic's Super Bowl spot is 'dishonest' about ChatGPT ads, but he agrees it's funny

In an unexpected twist, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, acknowledged the humor in Anthropic's latest advertisements targeting ChatGPT. In a detailed post on X, Altman expressed his amusement but also raised concerns about the integrity of the messaging. "While I found the Anthropic ads amusing, I can't help but question why they would resort to such blatant dishonesty," he remarked. Anthropic, known for its AI chatbot Claude, launched a series of four ads online, set to air during the Super Bowl. The campaign boldly critiques OpenAI's recent decision to incorporate advertisements into ChatGPT. One of the ads states, "Ads are coming to AI. But not to Claude," cleverly avoiding direct mentions of OpenAI or ChatGPT. The ads portray a fictional chatbot that interrupts conversations with product promotions. In a humorous example, when a user seeks advice on achieving a six-pack quickly, the chatbot not only responds but also suggests purchasing insoles to appear taller, complete with a discount code. Altman responded to the ads by reinforcing OpenAI's commitment to ethical advertising practices, stating, "Our most important principle for ads is that we won’t do this; we would never run ads in the manner depicted by Anthropic. We understand our users and know they would reject such an approach." He emphasized that OpenAI aims to provide accessible AI solutions to everyone, focusing on reaching billions who cannot afford subscription fees. OpenAI offers various ChatGPT plans, ranging from free to $200 monthly, while Anthropic's Claude plans are priced from free to $100 monthly, with both companies providing options for teams and enterprises. Altman noted that more individuals use ChatGPT for free in Texas than the total number of people utilizing Claude across the United States, highlighting the differing market challenges they face. In a final note, he hinted at OpenAI's own Super Bowl advertisement, which will celebrate creativity and the notion that anyone can build anything in today's age of technology.