In a surprising turn of events, tech mogul Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, accusing the AI startup of breaching contractual agreements entered into during Musk’s involvement in its 2015 founding.
Musk claims that OpenAI has deviated from its original non-profit mission and prioritized profit over the advancement of humanity through artificial intelligence.
To ClosedAI and I will drop the lawsuit
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 6, 2024
In an unconventional twist, Musk proposed a unique solution to the lawsuit. On the social media platform, X announced that he would withdraw the lawsuit if OpenAI agreed to change its name to “‘ClosedAI”.
Musk, the co-founder of OpenAI who stepped down from the board in 2018, says the Microsoft-backed company’s focus on profit is at odds with the original deal. Lawyers representing Musk argue that OpenAI’s pursuit of financial gains violates the fundamental principles on which the organization was built.
OpenAI responded to Musk’s legal action by releasing a set of private emails they exchanged with him on March 6. The company expressed disappointment with Musk, saying he inspired them to aim higher, but became an adversary by founding a competitor and subsequently suing as OpenAI. she proceeded to her mission without his assistance.
