OpenAI has made a noteworthy move, spending a considerable sum to acquire the domain Chat.com — a site with an unconventional past. As first reported by PC Gamer, the domain previously hosted an adult video chat service, with archived pages showing chat rooms labeled “Sexy,” “Fantasy,” “Tease,” and “Foot Fetish.” Visitors were once greeted with a banner inviting them to start chatting instantly, with no registration or software required.
Now, however, Chat.com redirects straight to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s popular AI chatbot. For OpenAI, known for its functionality but not necessarily for memorable branding, Chat.com is a strategic acquisition that could make its services more accessible and recognizable.
Though OpenAI hasn’t disclosed the purchase price, the domain’s former owner, Dharmesh Shah, hinted at a lucrative deal. Shah originally bought Chat.com for $15.5 million in 2023 and stated that he sold it for significantly more. In a playful tweet exchange with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Shah confirmed that the new owner was “exactly who you’d think.”
The acquisition aligns with OpenAI’s recent push into search capabilities. Last week, OpenAI announced its “ChatGPT search,” a feature designed to provide timely answers with links to web sources, taking aim at traditional search engines. While it’s still unclear how Chat.com will fit into OpenAI’s broader plans, the name is certainly simpler and more memorable than
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