Archive · 3 Aug 2026
Google Developed ChatGPT‑Like AI Before OpenAI, Never Released
Google, a big tech company, made a computer program that could talk like a human, similar to ChatGPT.
They called it LMChat.
The program was ready before OpenAI released ChatGPT.
But Google decided not to share it because they were worried it might upset other parts of the company.
A former team member still thinks about that decision a lot.
Google developed a ChatGPT‑like model called LMChat a year before OpenAI released ChatGPT.
The project was internally codenamed LMChat and later another name.
Google decided not to release the model, citing concerns about disruption.
DeepMind was prevented from shipping products that could compete with Google.
A former team member reflected on the decision, noting it still occupies his thoughts.
- Who
- Former Google engineer (unnamed)
- What
- Google developed a ChatGPT‑like AI called LMChat
- When
- A year before OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2023
- Where
- Google (company)
- Why
- Google was nervous about releasing it and DeepMind was blocked from shipping disruptive products
- Company
- Project name
- LMChat
- AI model type
- ChatGPT‑like
- Release status
- Not released
- Reason
- Nervous about disruption