Elon Musk, the renowned tech entrepreneur and CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its co-founders, alleging a breach of contract. Musk claims that OpenAI, an organization dedicated to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) for the benefit of humanity, has shifted its focus towards profit-making after aligning itself with technology giant Microsoft.
The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco, accuses OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and president Gregory Brockman of violating the company’s founding agreement. Musk alleges that the defendants have strayed from their pledge to develop AI for the betterment of humanity and are now pursuing profit and power. The founding agreement required OpenAI to make its technology, including the AI chatbot GPT-4, freely available to the public. However, Musk claims that OpenAI has become profit-focused since its partnership with Microsoft.
In the lawsuit, Musk argues that OpenAI’s GPT-4 represents artificial general intelligence (AGI), an AI system that possesses intelligence on par with or surpassing that of humans. He contends that OpenAI has transformed into a closed-source subsidiary of Microsoft, diverting its focus from the benefit of humanity to maximizing profits for the tech giant.
Musk’s lawsuit also highlights the firing and subsequent reinstatement of Sam Altman as OpenAI’s CEO in 2023. According to Musk, Altman’s temporary departure prompted Microsoft to intervene and push for the resignation of board members who opposed him. This restructuring led to a collapse of OpenAI’s corporate structure designed to ensure the non-profit mission was upheld.
Furthermore, Musk alleges that the current board members lack a deep understanding of the technology and that OpenAI’s restructuring has put AGI development in the hands of a large for-profit corporation, concentrating vast power inappropriately. This concentration of power poses risks to society and humanity, according to Musk.
Elon Musk has long been a critic of the dangers posed by AI and its potential impact on humanity. Last year, he joined over 1,100 experts and industry executives, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, in signing an open letter urging a pause in the training of advanced AI systems. The signatories expressed concerns over the risks that AI systems with human-level intelligence could pose to society and emphasized the need for careful planning and management to avoid potential catastrophic effects.
OpenAI has not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit at this time.
Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI raises significant questions about the organization’s commitment to its founding principles. The case highlights the potential conflicts that can arise when organizations dedicated to the betterment of humanity align themselves with profit-driven entities. As the development of AI continues to advance, it is crucial for safeguards to be in place to ensure that these powerful technologies benefit society as a whole and are not driven solely by profit motives.
 for the benefit of humanity. Musk claims that OpenAI shifted its focus towards profit-making after partnering with Microsoft, diverting from its mission. The lawsuit highlights the firing and reinstatement of OpenAI's CEO, alleging Microsoft's influence in reshaping the organization. Musk argues that this concentration of power poses risks to society. This case raises important questions about the alignment of organizations dedicated to the betterment of humanity with profit-driven entities in the development of AI.){kind=link}