Elon Musk is suing OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman over what he says is a betrayal of the ChatGPT maker’s founding aims of benefiting humanity rather than pursuing profits.
In a lawsuit filed at San Francisco Superior Court, billionaire Musk said that when he bankrolled OpenAI’s creation, he secured an agreement with Altman and Greg Brockman, the president, to keep the AI company as a non-profit that would develop technology for the benefit of the public.
Under its founding agreement, OpenAI would also make its code open to the public instead of walling it off for any private company’s gains, the lawsuit says.
However, by embracing a close relationship with Microsoft, OpenAI and its top executives have set that pact “aflame” and are “perverting” the company’s mission, Musk alleges in the lawsuit.
“OpenAI, Inc. has been transformed into a closed-source de facto subsidiary of the largest technology company in the world: Microsoft,” the lawsuit filed Thursday says. “Under its new Board, it is not just developing but is actually refining an AGI to maximize profits for Microsoft, rather than for the benefit of humanity.”
AGI refers to artificial general intelligence, which are general purpose AI systems that can perform just as well as — or even better than — humans in a wide variety of tasks.
Musk is suing over breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and unfair business practices. He also wants an injunction to prevent anyone, including Microsoft, from benefiting from OpenAI’s technology.
Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has filed a lawsuit against the CEO of OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research organization he co-founded in 2015, for allegedly betraying the company’s mission to benefit humanity. The lawsuit, filed in a California court, accuses the CEO of breaching his fiduciary duty and engaging in activities that are detrimental to the company’s goals.
OpenAI was founded by Musk and a group of other tech industry leaders with the goal of developing artificial intelligence in a way that is safe and beneficial for humanity. The organization has been at the forefront of research in AI ethics and has advocated for responsible development of AI technology.
According to the lawsuit, the CEO of OpenAI has been pursuing projects and partnerships that go against the company’s mission and values. Musk alleges that the CEO has been prioritizing profits over the well-being of humanity and has been making decisions that could have negative consequences for society.
Musk has been a vocal advocate for ethical AI development and has warned about the potential dangers of uncontrolled artificial intelligence. He has called for regulations to ensure that AI technology is developed in a responsible and ethical manner.
The lawsuit is a significant development in the ongoing debate about the ethical implications of AI technology. It raises questions about the responsibilities of tech companies and their leaders in ensuring that AI is developed in a way that benefits society as a whole.
In response to the lawsuit, the CEO of OpenAI has denied the allegations and stated that he remains committed to the company’s mission of advancing AI for the benefit of humanity. He has vowed to fight the lawsuit and defend his actions.
The outcome of the lawsuit remains uncertain, but it is clear that the case has brought attention to the importance of ethics in AI development. As AI technology continues to advance rapidly, it is crucial for companies and researchers to prioritize ethical considerations and ensure that AI is developed in a way that benefits society and does not pose risks to humanity.
