OpenAI’s plan to monetize memes: create a social network

It would probably be more like 4chan than X or Instagram.

According to The Verge, OpenAI is building its own social media network. The project is still in early stages, and may never be released, but CEO Sam Altman is privately soliciting feedback about a prototype for the network, which would be tied to the company’s AI image generator.

Why it’s happening: The Verge’s report puts out the idea that a social network would give OpenAI a direct source of user posts and data to train future AI models on, as Meta and X have started doing. But OpenAI probably also sees this as a potential (and desperately needed) source of revenue.

OpenAI says it has had big user boosts from its image generator, but that kind of viral engagement is hard to sustain and monetize. Putting more features behind a paid membership is a risky strategy because “give us money so you can post a meme” isn’t the most effective sales pitch. But a social network could monetize that engagement with ads — as other companies do — and also keep those images on its platform, instead of having them shared elsewhere.

Who wants this?: The report likens the OpenAI social network to X or Instagram. But the more apt comparison is probably niche image boards like 4chan or 9gag: a feed of low-effort, barely entertaining memes being shared over and over, except instead of rage comics and soyface, it would be AI-generated action figures and “draw X in the style of Y” images.

Or, it could just get really weird: Facebook and Instagram Reels have already become dumping beds for increasingly weird and nonsensical AI-generated images and videos, offering a potential preview of the kind of slop that could come from more direct AI integration.