'It’s insanely suicidal for Microsoft...', says Elon Musk as Sam Altman claims Slack breeds fake work

Sam Altman, Elon Musk

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has sparked a debate over the future of workplace tools, calling Slack and similar apps enablers of “endless fake work.” His comments, which argued for a complete rethink of productivity software in the AI era, drew a sharp reaction from Elon Musk — who suggested Microsoft’s continued support of OpenAI was “insanely suicidal.”

In an interview, Sam Altman criticised the modern workplace’s reliance on collaboration tools like Slack, saying they often create an illusion of productivity. “Slack has many positives,” he wrote, “but it creates endless fake work.” Altman argued that the world doesn’t need yet another layer of AI features added to traditional tools like Docs, Slides, Email, and Slack — it needs a fully AI-native productivity suite built from the ground up.

According to Altman, such a system would rely on trusted AI agents that can autonomously manage and execute work, escalating issues to humans only when necessary. “This finally feels within reach,” he added, hinting at how generative AI could reshape how people collaborate and make decisions at scale.

Altman’s remarks come amid speculation that OpenAI could be working on next-generation productivity tools powered by GPT-5, potentially positioning it against Microsoft’s own Copilot suite.

The comment didn’t go unnoticed by Elon Musk, who responded on X with a thinly veiled warning to Microsoft — a major OpenAI investor and infrastructure partner. “As I was saying, OpenAI will compete directly with Microsoft,” Musk wrote in one post, following it up with: “At this point, it’s insanely suicidal for Microsoft to continue supporting OpenAI.”

Musk’s relationship with OpenAI and Sam Altman has grown increasingly fractious over the years. Once a co-founder and early backer of the company, Musk left OpenAI in 2018 amid disagreements over its direction and leadership.

Since then, he’s repeatedly criticised OpenAI’s shift from a non-profit to a Microsoft-backed commercial powerhouse, accusing it of betraying its original mission to develop safe, open AI for humanity. Musk has also launched his own rival, xAI, and often takes public jabs at Altman and OpenAI’s close ties to Microsoft