Elon Musk has initiated legal proceedings against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging a violation of the artificial intelligence company’s founding agreement by prioritizing financial gain over the betterment of humanity.
Musk, a co-founder of the ChatGPT maker in 2015, contends that OpenAI’s close ties with tech behemoth Microsoft contradict the company’s initial commitment to fostering public, open-source AI.
At the time of founding, Musk, Altman, and Greg Brockman, the co-founders, pledged to establish a nonprofit entity “for the benefit of humanity,” as stated in court documents filed by Musk in San Francisco on Thursday.
The lawsuit asserts that OpenAI has evolved into a closed-source entity effectively operating as a subsidiary of Microsoft, diverging from its original mission. Musk claims that, under its new board, OpenAI is not only developing but refining an artificial general intelligence (AGI) to maximize profits for Microsoft, rather than serving the broader benefit of humanity.
Musk’s legal action includes allegations of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices against OpenAI and its co-founders. As of now, neither OpenAI nor Musk has provided immediate responses to requests for comments.
(With inputs from various sources)
