OpenAI has initiated legal action against Elon Musk, one of its co-founders, and his new AI venture, xAI. In court documents filed recently, OpenAI alleges that Musk has been conducting a “relentless” and “malicious” effort to undermine the organization since his departure.
OpenAI claims that Musk’s actions represent bad-faith tactics aimed at slowing down their progress and gaining control of leading artificial intelligence innovations for personal gain. In response to these actions, OpenAI has filed a counter-suit to halt Musk’s alleged campaign.
The court filing, presented to the US District Court for the Northern District of California, suggests that Musk was unable to cope with OpenAI’s success following his departure, during which he had previously labelled the organization as “doomed.” OpenAI is seeking legal remedies, including an injunction to stop Musk’s “unlawful” actions and compensation for damages incurred.
The documents provide an overview of OpenAI’s origins in 2015, which began with discussions between CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman aimed at developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the benefit of all humanity. Musk was initially involved and pledged substantial financial support, but tensions arose as he demanded “absolute control” over the organization.
When these demands were rejected, Musk left OpenAI in February 2018, claiming he would succeed with AGI development at Tesla instead. Following Musk’s exit, OpenAI restructured in 2019, establishing a “capped-profit” model to attract investment while retaining its mission.
Following this change, OpenAI achieved significant breakthroughs, including the creation of GPT-3 and ChatGPT, which further intensified Musk’s alleged antagonism. OpenAI’s counterclaims against Musk and xAI include accusations of unfair competition and tortious interference with economic relations, arguing that Musk’s actions divert resources and threaten their operations and relationships.
They also express concerns about xAI and its safety record, emphasizing the ongoing implications of their legal battle against Musk, who they accuse of promoting his self-interests at the expense of OpenAI’s mission. As the conflict escalates, the future of AGI remains uncertain, with substantial financial stakes involved.