A cryptic social media post from OpenAI's chief executive, Sam Altman, recently ignited a massive online treasure hunt. With just a gift-wrapped box emoji and the teasing line "Here is a little hint," Altman managed to capture the tech world's attention, amassing nearly two million views on the post within hours.
The Viral Tease That Started It All
Without any context or follow-up explanation, the brief message from the OpenAI CEO was enough to set off intense speculation. The tech community's curiosity was instantly piqued, demonstrating the powerful influence figures like Altman wield. Users flooded the replies, determined to decode the hidden meaning behind the simple gift emoji. The prevailing theory was that a new feature or surprise update was concealed within the ChatGPT interface itself.
Instead of waiting for an official announcement, a global community of users took matters into their own hands, experimenting with the ChatGPT app to find the secret. This user-driven discovery process became a viral event in itself, turning a quiet tease into a trending online phenomenon.
How Users Unlocked the ChatGPT Santa
The mystery was soon solved by an enterprising user. The solution was surprisingly straightforward: open the ChatGPT mobile application and send the gift emoji in a chat. This simple action triggers a special, hidden function.
Upon sending the emoji, ChatGPT prompts the user to take or upload a selfie. Using this image, OpenAI's advanced Sora video model then generates a short, personalised video with a Santa Claus theme. In the playful clip, Santa delivers a custom message that references the user's past conversations with the AI.
The results are light-hearted and fun, with some users receiving friendly praise and whimsical gift suggestions, while others are jokingly labelled as "naughty." The feature is clearly designed as a festive experiment in engagement, not a serious tool.
Access and Availability
The special Santa video feature is accessible to both Free and Plus tier users of ChatGPT. While OpenAI has indicated that Plus subscribers might enjoy higher usage limits, the company has not released specific details. Notably, there was no formal press release or major product announcement for this feature.
The rollout strategy appears intentional, relying on social media buzz and community discovery to drive engagement. This "Easter egg" approach allows users to feel a sense of participation and surprise, turning a product update into an interactive event.
