OpenAI's marketing strategy has increasingly come under scrutiny for its deceptive tactics. Every time a competitor makes a significant breakthrough, OpenAI seems to counter with a "huge" product announcement within 30 days. This pattern has become predictable and, frankly, frustrating for those who follow the industry closely.
Take, for instance, the release of Claude 3 Opus, which outperformed GPT-4. Almost immediately, Sam Altman was quick to downplay GPT-4, hinting at a revolutionary next-gen model. This tactic of dismissing their current products to build hype for future ones is becoming all too familiar. Similarly, the much-touted GPT-4o's "amazing speech capabilities" showcased in promotional videos have yet to materialize, despite promises of a rollout in the "coming weeks."
Then there's Sora, another highly anticipated model. Despite the hype and heavily edited showcase videos, the model is still nowhere to be seen. This pattern of over-promising and under-delivering has led many to question the authenticity of OpenAI's announcements. As one commenter aptly put it, OpenAI seems to embody the mantra of "fake it till you make it."
While marketing is an essential part of any business, the constant cycle of hype and disappointment is wearing thin. It's one thing to build excitement around upcoming products, but it's another to repeatedly fail to deliver on those promises. This strategy might keep investors interested in the short term, but it risks eroding trust in the long run.
