March 3 (Reuters) - OpenAI is developing a new code-hosting platform to rival Microsoft's GitHub, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing a person with knowledge of the project.
Engineers from OpenAI encountered a rise in service disruptions that rendered GitHub unavailable in recent months, which ultimately prompted the decision to develop the new product, the report said.
The OpenAI project is in its early stages and likely will not be completed for months, according to The Information. Employees working on it have considered making the code repository available for purchase to OpenAI's customer base.
Reuters could not independently verify the report. OpenAI, GitHub and Microsoft did not immediately respond to our requests for comment.
If OpenAI does sell the product, it would mark a bold move by the creator of ChatGPT to compete directly against Microsoft, which holds a significant stake in the firm.
Its latest funding round valued OpenAI at $840 billion as Big Tech and Masayoshi Son's SoftBank piled into the $110 billion blockbuster raise, signaling the AI investment race is alive and well despite recent fears of a valuation bubble.
(Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Alan Barona)
