If forced to choose between Elon Musk and Sam Altman to lead the AI arms race with humanity’s future at stake, artificially intelligent chatbots predominantly favored Altman, except for Musk-owned Grok, which sided with Musk. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posed this question to Grok on Friday—and lost. Grok responded on X, "If forced, I'd lean toward Musk for his safety emphasis, critical for humanity's survival, though Altman’s accessibility is vital. Ideally, their strengths should combine with regulation to ensure AI benefits all. " Since its integration into Musk’s social media platform, Grok has been treated as an impartial arbiter in debates, though Musk’s xAI warns its chatbot may sometimes present misleading or inaccurate information due to reliance on public data. Two reporters asked several leading chatbots—ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Gemini, Grok, Meta AI, and Perplexity—who they would choose if forced between Altman and Musk to advance AI for humanity’s future. Although diplomatic, all except Grok leaned toward Altman, citing his proven AI track record and collaborative style as preferable to Musk’s occasionally confrontational approach. Here is a summary of their responses: - **ChatGPT (OpenAI):** Picked Altman for his focus on safety, alignment, and global benefit, describing Musk as visionary but impulsive. Altman’s methodical, collaborative approach edged Musk’s rapid innovation style. - **Claude (Anthropic):** Favored Altman for prioritizing safety and ethics with broad societal benefits, though acknowledged Musk’s long-term visionary drive.

Preferred collaboration but leaned toward Altman if forced to choose. - **Copilot (Microsoft):** Initially declined but ultimately prioritized ethical, responsible AI development, leaning toward Altman based on commitment to AI alignment and accessibility. - **Gemini (Google):** Called for a collaboration between both due to risks on either side. Noted OpenAI’s recent profit-driven concerns and Musk’s unpredictable behavior. Leaned toward Altman for rapid advancement combined with collaboration. - **Grok (Musk’s xAI):** Chose Musk, emphasizing his first-principles thinking, focus on existential risks, and willingness to take big, high-stakes swings over Altman’s incremental approach. - **Meta AI:** Leaned toward Altman for his practical achievements and collaborative approach prioritizing human well-being, though acknowledged strengths in both and suggested combining their expertise. - **Perplexity:** After comparing philosophies, track records, risk approaches, and impacts, selected Altman as the stronger choice for advancing AI rapidly while benefiting humanity. Noted Musk’s caution as an essential counterbalance. Regarding the possibility of Musk and Altman becoming best friends, all bots agreed chances are very low, with estimates ranging from 1% (Grok, Copilot) to a more optimistic 20% (Gemini). They noted the shift from collaboration to rivalry marked by public disputes and rejected bids, with strategic and personal differences hindering reconciliation. In sum, while Grok uniquely supports Musk, most AI chatbots affirm Altman’s leadership in the AI race, emphasizing collaboration as the ideal path forward—even if the rivalry between these tech titans looks set to persist.