OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has taken a subtle jibe at Elon Musk’s recent AI venture. While replying to a post on X, Altman contrasted his company’s focus on scientific advancement with Musk’s recent release of a NSFW (Not Safe For Work) anime character for his AI platform.The exchange began when Boris Power, Head of Applied Research at OpenAI highlighted the company’s work with Retro Biosciences, detailing how a custom AI model had improved variants of Nobel Prize-winning Yamanaka proteins. This project underscores OpenAI’s mission: using AI to accelerate breakthroughs in science and medicine.

Question of Altman on 18+ Anime character

Altman reshared Power’s post, calling it “So Cool”. In response, a user questioned Altman, asking why OpenAI wasn’t offering “18+ anime.” Altman fired back with a pointed comment, “anime is cool i guess but i am personally more excited about ai discovering lots of new science.”The remark was a clear jab at Musk, who has a well-known affinity for anime and whose AI company, xAI, has recently introduced a new AI companion named “Ani.”

Musk introduces controversial ‘Ani’ character

The release of Ani sparked controversy. The character is depicted as a young, blonde anime woman in a provocative outfit, including a corset and fishnet tights, and responds to users in a “slow, sultry voice.” The AI companion is even accessible in “Kids Mode” on the platform. Musk has actively promoted the character on his X account. xAI is also reportedly hiring software engineers to make its Anime companions. The company is hiring for the role of “Fullstack Engineer – Waifus,” or creating Al-powered anime girls.According to a job listing, xAl is actively recruiting “exceptional multimedia engineers and product thinkers” to enhance Grok’s real-time avatar capabilities. The job position is based in Palo Alto and offers a salary range of $180,000 to $440,000, in addition to equity and benefits.