OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is turning to the public for ideas on how to improve the company’s products in 2025. On Christmas Eve, Altman posted a simple question on X (formerly Twitter): “what would you like openai to build/fix in 2025?” This crowdsourcing initiative comes at the end of a turbulent year for the AI giant.
OpenAI faced significant challenges in 2024, including ongoing legal battles with co-founder Elon Musk. Musk, who left OpenAI’s board in 2018, filed a lawsuit against Altman and the company in February, withdrew it in June, then filed a new lawsuit in August claiming OpenAI executives “deceived” him into co-founding the organization. Despite these legal headwinds, OpenAI secured a record-breaking $6.6 billion funding round in October, pushing the company’s valuation to an impressive $157 billion — the highest funding round for tech in Silicon Valley history.
From the responses to his post, three key improvement areas have emerged that Altman appears to be seriously considering:
Family Accounts with Parental Controls: One user suggested allowing families to create accounts with built-in guardrails for children, enabling kids to explore ChatGPT safely within parent-determined limits. Altman responded positively, calling it “a good idea.” Currently, OpenAI’s website states that ChatGPT isn’t intended for children under 13 and requires parental consent for users aged 13-18, though the company doesn’t actively verify this consent.
Enhanced Voice Chat Functionality: ChatGPT’s voice feature, which allows users to speak directly to the chatbot, needs refinement according to user feedback. One follower pointed out that users “can’t just silently think for 5 seconds without being interrupted,” to which Altman acknowledged it was a “good point.” The voice feature has experienced various bugs and misinterpretations since its rollout, frustrating users who want more natural conversational flow.
Improved Video Generation with Sora: Multiple users urged improvements to Sora, OpenAI’s text-to-video model that generates videos based on written prompts. Sora officially launched on December 9, 2024, after being tested with a limited group of creators since February. Product lead Rohan Sahai explained at launch that the rollout would be conservative to prevent illegal activity like copyright violations while still enabling creative expression.
This public engagement strategy demonstrates Altman’s commitment to user-driven development as OpenAI continues expanding its AI product ecosystem.
Key Quotes
what would you like openai to build/fix in 2025?
Sam Altman posted this question on X on Christmas Eve, opening the floor to public suggestions for improving OpenAI’s products. This crowdsourcing approach demonstrates a shift toward community-driven development at the AI giant.
Let their curiosity take off, but within reasonable limits, as determined by the parent
An X user suggested this approach for family accounts with parental controls, to which Altman responded positively by calling it “a good idea.” This addresses growing concerns about AI safety for children.
you can’t just silently think for 5 seconds without being interrupted
A user criticized ChatGPT’s voice feature for being too intrusive during conversations. Altman acknowledged this as a “good point,” indicating that improving natural conversational flow is a priority for 2025.
its team wants to prevent illegal activity like copyright violations while allowing for creative expression
Rohan Sahai, Sora’s product lead, explained the conservative rollout strategy for OpenAI’s text-to-video model at its December 9 launch. This highlights the delicate balance between innovation and legal compliance in generative AI.
Our Take
Altman’s crowdsourcing strategy is brilliant public relations wrapped in genuine product development. After a year marked by Elon Musk’s lawsuits and internal turmoil, directly engaging users rebuilds trust while generating valuable product insights. The three emerging priorities reveal OpenAI’s awareness of its weaknesses: safety concerns, user experience gaps, and nascent multimodal capabilities.
What’s particularly telling is the focus on family accounts — OpenAI recognizes that becoming a household utility requires addressing parental concerns head-on. The voice chat complaints highlight a broader challenge: making AI interactions feel genuinely conversational rather than transactional. Meanwhile, Sora improvements signal OpenAI’s determination to dominate video generation before competitors like Google’s Veo or Runway gain ground.
This public feedback loop also serves as competitive intelligence gathering — Altman gets free market research while competitors watch OpenAI’s roadmap unfold in real-time. It’s a calculated risk that demonstrates confidence in OpenAI’s execution speed and technical capabilities.
Why This Matters
This crowdsourcing initiative signals a strategic shift toward user-centric development at one of the world’s most influential AI companies. As OpenAI’s valuation reaches $157 billion and its products become increasingly integrated into daily workflows, understanding user pain points becomes critical for maintaining market leadership.
The three focus areas — family safety controls, voice interaction improvements, and video generation enhancement — reveal where generative AI is heading in 2025. Family accounts address growing concerns about AI safety for younger users, a regulatory hot-button issue globally. Voice chat improvements suggest OpenAI is serious about making conversational AI feel more natural and less robotic, essential for widespread adoption. Sora’s development indicates the next frontier: multimodal AI that seamlessly generates video content, potentially disrupting creative industries.
This public engagement also serves as damage control after a tumultuous year of legal battles and leadership controversies. By directly soliciting user feedback, Altman positions OpenAI as responsive and community-focused, potentially rebuilding trust. For businesses and developers building on OpenAI’s platform, these improvements could unlock new use cases and applications, further cementing the company’s dominance in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
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