'Trying hard to attract Indian customers': Sam Altman's AI image in cricket jersey sparks buzz

Two posts and a repost from Sam Altman, all about India. That's all it took netizens to start speculating the possible reasons behind OpenAI CEO's "sudden" obsession with India.

On Thursday, following the viral ChatGPT-Studio Ghibli trend, Altman posted an anime-inspired AI-generated picture of himself playing cricket wearing the Indian cricket team's jersey.

"prompt: sam altman as a cricket player in anime style (sic)," the OpenAI CEO wrote on X along with the image. Indian users were quick to speculate that Altman is probably trying to capture the Indian market.

"Now awaiting your India announcement. How much are you allocating out of that $40bn to India," a user asked, alluding to the record funding recently secured by Altman for his firm, OpenAI, which owns ChatGPT.

"Sam trying hard to attract Indian customers," said another user.

A day earlier, on Wednesday, Altman had made another post about AI adoption in India. He wrote, "What's happening with AI adoption in india right now is amazing to watch. we love to see the explosion of creativity--india is outpacing the world. (sic)"

"India is the MAU farm of the world," wrote a user.

Enthused by Altman’s post, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu responded by saying "Absolutely! India is just beginning its journey, and Andhra Pradesh is poised to become a hub for AI-driven advancements."

A few days earlier, Altman had reposted Studio Ghibli-style images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi which were shared by the federal government's citizen engagement platform.

All the posts have gone viral on the social media platform generating several reactions from the users.

It is worth noting that during his visit to India in 2023, Altman made an offhand comment about the AI prospects of the country.

Replying to a question about how a small, smart team with a low budget of about $10m could build substantial AI foundational models, he answered that it would be "totally hopeless" to attempt this but that entrepreneurs should try anyway.