OpenAI staff raises concerns over company’s social media push

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OpenAI just launched its first attempt at social media, and it already has everyone, from current employees to ex-researchers, doomscrolling on X (Twitter) about what it all means. 

The new app, Sora, is basically TikTok but powered by AI. Think endless clips of AI-generated videos, with plenty of Sam Altman deepfakes sprinkled in for flavor. 

It’s OpenAI’s biggest move into consumer entertainment yet, and not everyone inside the company is thrilled.

John Hallman, a researcher at OpenAI, put it bluntly: “AI-based feeds are scary.” He admitted he was uneasy about the launch but said the team worked hard to design it responsibly. 

AI-based feeds are scary. I won't deny that I felt some concern when I first learned we were releasing Sora 2.
That said, I think the team did the absolute best job they possible could in designing a positive experience. Compared to other platforms, I find myself scrolling way… https://t.co/uLeeVMKncl

— John Hallman (@johnohallman) September 30, 2025

Another researcher, Harvard professor Boaz Barak, echoed that mix of excitement and dread, warning it’s too soon to pat themselves on the back for avoiding the mess that Facebook and TikTok got us into.

Meanwhile, some ex-OpenAI folks are using the moment to pitch alternatives. 

Former researcher Rohan Pandey plugged his new startup, Periodic Labs, which is focused on using AI for scientific discovery instead of fueling what he called “the infinite AI TikTok slop machine.” 

The drama highlights a recurring question about OpenAI’s split personality: is it a nonprofit research lab meant to save humanity from AI risk, or the fastest-growing consumer tech company on Earth? 

CEO Sam Altman weighed in, insisting Sora is a fun side project that helps show off new tech while raising the money OpenAI needs for more serious AI research. 

i get the vibe here, but…

we do mostly need the capital for build AI that can do science, and for sure we are focused on AGI with almost all of our research effort.

it is also nice to show people cool new tech/products along the way, make them smile, and hopefully make some… https://t.co/bcCUmXsloP

— Sam Altman (@sama) October 1, 2025

In other words, we’re building AGI, but hey, here’s an app that makes you laugh.

Critics say that’s exactly how social media giants got started, by insisting their apps were harmless fun before they rewired society. 

OpenAI promises Sora won’t optimize for addictiveness and even plans to nudge users when they scroll too long. (Via: TechCrunch)

But the feed already has dopamine-bait mechanics like emoji bursts when you hit “like.”

For now, Sora is one day old and small in scope. But its launch shows OpenAI stepping squarely into the same territory that’s turned other platforms into controversy magnets.

Is OpenAI’s Sora app a harmless way to fund serious AI research, or the beginning of another addictive social media platform we’ll regret? Should AI companies be building consumer entertainment apps at all, or does this distract from their stated mission of developing safe AGI? Tell us a line below in the comments, or carry the discussion to our Twitter or Facebook.