Elon Musk Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman, Alleging Abandonment of Founding Mission.
Elon Musk has initiated legal action against OpenAI and its Chief Executive, Sam Altman, alleging that they have prioritized profits over the advancement of humanity, thereby breaching the original agreement of the artificial-intelligence company.
This lawsuit, filed in a San Francisco court on Thursday, intensifies the ongoing dispute among prominent figures in the technology industry concerning the future of AI. As the second-wealthiest individual in the world, Musk now finds himself in direct opposition to Microsoft, the most valuable company globally, as well as Altman, a leading entrepreneur in Silicon Valley.
Musk, who co-founded ChatGPT in 2015, asserts that OpenAI’s close association with Microsoft contradicts the company’s initial pledge to provide public, open-source AI.
According to the submitted court documents, when OpenAI was established, Musk, Altman, and co-founder Greg Brockman agreed to pursue a nonprofit path “for the benefit of humanity,” rather than being dedicated to any specific business entity. Their objective at the time was to establish a nonprofit organization to counterbalance the perceived excessive power of Google in the field of AI.
In a 2015 email to Musk, Altman expressed his belief that halting the development of AI would be unfeasible and added, “If it’s going to happen, it seems like it would be good for someone other than Google to do it first.”
Initially, Musk served as the primary financial supporter of OpenAI. However, following a disagreement with Altman regarding establishing a for-profit division, Musk resigned as co-chair in 2018 and reduced his financial contributions.
Subsequently, Microsoft became involved. The tech giant, which initially invested in OpenAI in 2019, expanded its collaboration last year by investing $13 billion in exchange for a 49% stake in OpenAI’s for-profit division.
The lawsuit contends that the for-profit division is presently valued at almost $80 billion.
Musk claims that OpenAI and Microsoft have effectively achieved an early iteration of artificial general intelligence (AGI) through ChatGPT, where machines can think and reason in a manner resembling humans.
The lawsuit states, “OpenAI, Inc. has turned into a closed-source subsidiary of the world’s largest technology company, Microsoft. Under its new board, it is not only developing but also refining an AGI to maximize profits for Microsoft, rather than benefiting humanity.”Musk has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices by the company and its co-founders, Altman and Brockman. In his legal action, Musk is seeking a court order that would require OpenAI to make all of its research and technology publicly available. He is also calling for the company and Altman to give up any funds obtained through what he deems as unlawful practices.
OpenAI has yet to respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit. Altman, on the other hand, acknowledges the importance of safety and cautious development of AI technology. However, he also recognizes its significant potential for commercial success.
The lawsuit draws attention to several historical instances in the evolution of AI, positioning Musk as one of the few voices in Silicon Valley that has been vocal about the potential dangers associated with it.
Musk, known for expressing concerns about the disastrous consequences of poorly designed AI, has recently criticized OpenAI’s ChatGPT system for being excessively politically correct. He warns that this could result in AI gaining excessive power beyond human control.
In a move that adds further complexity to the situation, Musk has founded a new AI company, named X.AI, with the aim of competing with OpenAI. Shortly thereafter, he signed an open letter calling for a six-month pause in AI development to allow regulators and companies to assess the associated risks.
The lawsuit further compounds the challenges already facing OpenAI, such as Altman’s temporary removal from the board last November and his subsequent reinstatement a few weeks later. This week, it was reported by The Wall Street Journal that the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether OpenAI misled investors during this period of upheaval.