Elon Musk Takes Legal Action Against OpenAI

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the AI startup he co-founded, and its CEO, Sam Altman. The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI and its management have deviated from the organization’s original mission of developing artificial intelligence (AI) for the betterment of humanity, focusing instead on profit-making.

A Shift in OpenAI’s Mission

According to the lawsuit filed in the California Superior Court, Musk alleges that Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman initially approached him with the idea of creating an open-source, non-profit organization. The startup, established in 2015, was intended to work on artificial general intelligence (AGI), a notion that machines could perform tasks like a human in a manner that would “benefit humanity.”

However, Musk contends that OpenAI “set the founding agreement aflame” in 2023 when it released its powerful language model GPT-4 as essentially a Microsoft product. This release came after OpenAI received billions of dollars in funding from Microsoft.

Musk’s Demands

Musk has requested a court ruling that would require OpenAI to make its research and technology public. He also seeks to prohibit the startup from using its assets, including GPT-4, for the financial gains of Microsoft or any individual.

Further, Musk is seeking a ruling that GPT-4 and a new, more advanced technology called Q* should be considered AGI and thus outside of Microsoft’s license to OpenAI.

OpenAI’s Response

OpenAI’s top executives have refuted several of Musk’s claims, according to a memo cited by Axios. “The attacks will keep coming,” Altman noted in his statement.

Musk’s Own AI Venture

Following his departure from OpenAI, Musk founded his own AI startup, xAI, in July 2023. This rival AI effort consists of engineers hired from top U.S. technology firms, including Google and Microsoft. The startup began rolling out its ChatGPT competitor, Grok, to Premium+ subscribers of social media platform X in December. Musk has stated that the aim is to create a “maximum truth-seeking AI.”

Legal Experts’ Opinions

Several legal experts have noted that Musk’s allegations of breach of contract might not stand in court. For contracts to be formed through a series of emails, there needs to be agreement between parties. However, the lawsuit cites an email that appears to be a proposal and a “one-sided discussion.”

Wider Implications

The lawsuit comes amidst ongoing antitrust scrutiny in the U.S. and Britain concerning OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft. This followed a boardroom battle last year which led to Altman’s temporary ousting and return, and the creation of a new temporary board. New board members are expected to be appointed in March.

The legal action also highlights Musk’s broader concerns regarding AI. Previously, Musk has called AI a “double-edged sword” and has repeatedly called for its regulation. The billionaire, who runs Tesla and SpaceX, was among experts and executives who last year called for a six-month pause in developing systems more powerful than OpenAI’s GPT-4, citing significant risks to humanity and society.