ChatGPT creator Sam Altman recently reunited with an old friend in India. The friend, Rakesh Verma, is currently the CEO of MapMyIndia, an Indian technology company specializing in digital mapping, navigation, and location-based services.
Verma shared a photo on Twitter with Altman, recalling their time as freshmen at Stanford. Altman studied computer science at Stanford for two years before leaving to focus on Loopt, a mobile app that allowed users to share their locations with friends.
During their reunion, Verma expressed his excitement over Altman’s achievements, including his work with OpenAI and the development of the AI chatbot, ChatGPT.
Launched last year, ChatGPT was well-received in the tech world for its ability to create essays, poems, and dialogues from minimal prompts. OpenAI’s success led to Microsoft’s attention, and they invested significant financial backing, integrating OpenAI’s technology into several Microsoft products.
Altman’s visit to India was part of a global tour, and he had plans to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other government officials during his stay. Altman also spoke at the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Delhi on Thursday.
The visit was a meaningful reunion for Altman and Verma, who have since pursued different paths in the tech industry. Despite their different journeys, they continue to support and appreciate each other’s successes.