Elon Musk sues OpenAI over mission shift to profit
March 1, 2024 – 8:15 AM PST
(Reuters) – Elon Musk has taken legal action against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of abandoning the original mission of developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. Musk claims that the startup, which he co-founded, has shifted its focus towards profit-making.
The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco, marks the culmination of Musk’s ongoing disagreement with the startup. OpenAI, which has received significant funding from Microsoft, has become synonymous with generative AI, with Musk at the forefront.
Musk alleges a breach of contract, claiming that Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman initially approached him to create an open-source, non-profit company. However, Musk argues that the startup, established in 2015, has shifted its focus towards profitability.
In the lawsuit, Musk recounts the founding of OpenAI, stating that the three men agreed to work on artificial general intelligence (AGI) with the goal of benefiting humanity. Musk also believed that OpenAI would serve as a counterbalance to Google, which he believed was developing AGI for profit and posed significant risks.
According to the lawsuit, OpenAI “betrayed the founding agreement” in 2023 when it released its powerful language model GPT-4 as essentially a Microsoft product.
Musk is seeking a court ruling that would require OpenAI to make its research and technology available to the public and prevent the startup from using its assets, including GPT-4, for Microsoft’s financial gain or any individual’s.
OpenAI, Microsoft, and Musk have not responded to requests for comment from Reuters.
Musk is also seeking a ruling that GPT-4 and a more advanced technology called Q* should be classified as AGI, thereby excluding them from Microsoft’s license to OpenAI.
In November, Reuters reported on Q* and warnings from OpenAI researchers about a powerful AI discovery.
Musk, who heads Tesla and SpaceX and acquired Twitter for $44 billion, stepped down from OpenAI’s board in 2018 and has repeatedly called for AI regulation.
OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft is currently under antitrust scrutiny in the United States and Britain following a boardroom battle last year.
The startup plans to appoint new board members in March, according to the Washington Post. Microsoft announced in November that it would have a non-voting observer seat on the board.
Legal experts have raised doubts about the strength of Musk’s breach of contract claims, citing the reliance on a single email as evidence.
Musk has launched his own AI effort with startup xAI, which includes engineers from top technology firms such as Google and Microsoft. The startup recently introduced its ChatGPT competitor Grok for Premium+ subscribers of social media platform X, aiming to create a “maximum truth-seeking AI”.
Musk, along with other AI experts and industry executives, has previously called for a pause in developing systems more powerful than OpenAI’s GPT-4, citing risks to humanity and society.
Since its launch, ChatGPT has been adopted by companies for various tasks, sparking a race among Big Tech companies to develop their own generative AI offerings.
Reporting by Sheila Dang in Austin and Tom Hals in Wilmington; Jahnavi Nidumolu, Aditya Soni, Akash Sriram, Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Arun Koyyur
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What are the demands made by Elon Musk in his lawsuit against OpenAI?
Title: Elon Musk Files Lawsuit against OpenAI for Allegedly Abandoning Founding Mission
Introduction:
On March 1, 2024, Elon Musk, renowned entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, took legal action against OpenAI, the artificial intelligence (AI) research organization he co-founded, along with its CEO Sam Altman. Musk claims that OpenAI has deviated from its original goal of developing AI for the betterment of humanity and has instead shifted its focus towards profitability. This lawsuit marks the climax of Musk’s ongoing disagreement with the startup, which has garnered significant funding from Microsoft.
Background:
OpenAI has been synonymous with generative AI, with Musk serving as a prominent figure in the company. However, Musk alleges a breach of contract, stating that Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman initially approached him to create an open-source, non-profit organization. According to Musk, OpenAI, established in 2015, has diverted from its intended path and prioritized financial gains instead.
Musk’s Accusations:
The lawsuit filed in San Francisco highlights the founding vision of OpenAI, where Musk claims that the three co-founders agreed to collaborate on developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the ultimate benefit of humanity. Musk believed that OpenAI would counterbalance Google’s AGI pursuits, which he deemed profit-driven and potentially risky. In 2023, OpenAI released its influential language model GPT-4, which Musk argues is effectively a Microsoft product. This, according to Musk, betrays their founding agreement.
Musk’s Demands:
The lawsuit seeks a court ruling requiring OpenAI to make its research and technology accessible to the public, while preventing the startup from utilizing its assets, including GPT-4, for Microsoft’s financial gain. Musk is also requesting that GPT-4 and a more advanced technology called Q* be classified as AGI, thereby excluding Microsoft’s license to OpenAI. These demands aim to preserve OpenAI’s original mission and prevent the further diversion from its intended purpose.
Responses and Future Implications:
OpenAI, Microsoft, and Musk have not provided any comments regarding the lawsuit. It is worth noting that OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft is currently under antitrust scrutiny in the United States and Britain following a boardroom battle last year. The startup intends to appoint new board members in March, as reported by the Washington Post.
Legal experts have raised doubts about the strength of Musk’s breach of contract claims, questioning the reliance on a single email as evidence. Nevertheless, Musk has already launched his own AI effort with startup xAI, which includes engineers from leading technology companies such as Google and Microsoft. Recently, xAI introduced its ChatGPT competitor Grok for Premium+ subscribers of social media platforms.
Conclusion:
Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO comes as a result of his deepening disagreement with the startup’s shift towards profitability, deviating from the original mission of AI development for the benefit of humanity. The outcome of this legal battle will have significant implications for the future of OpenAI, AI regulation, and the pursuit of AGI. As the case unfolds, the technology and business communities eagerly await the resolution and its subsequent impact on the evolving field of AI.
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