PARIS: Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company he assisted in creating in 2015, alleging that its executives have “betrayed” the company’s original mission.
The billionaire, who left OpenAI in 2018, argued in court filings late on Thursday that the company was always meant to be a non-profit.
However, he said that recent boardroom adjustments meant OpenAI was now essentially a division of Microsoft, the industry leader in software, and that this was against the terms of their contract.
Musk has frequently charged Microsoft with being in charge of OpenAI; both companies have refuted the allegations.
OpenAI gained widespread attention in late 2022 with the launch of its chatbot ChatGPT, capable of generating coherent poems, essays, and even passing exams. The company has also developed cutting-edge image and video generation tools, positioning itself as a leader in the field.
AFP reached out to both firms for their response to the lawsuit.
The success of OpenAI’s products has attracted significant investment into the AI sector, which proponents believe has the potential to revolutionize various aspects of human life. Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI since 2019, further bolstered its support for the company last year.
Following internal turmoil, including the firing and subsequent reinstatement of CEO Sam Altman, Musk’s lawsuit alleges that OpenAI’s original mission to develop “artificial general intelligence” (AGI) for the benefit of humanity has been compromised. The lawsuit contends that OpenAI’s recent actions represent a departure from its founding principles and have potentially dire consequences for humanity.
Musk is seeking compensation from the court and requesting that OpenAI’s leaders be mandated to make their research publicly available. Additionally, he aims to prevent either OpenAI or Microsoft from profiting from the technology.
Since his departure from OpenAI, Musk has joined the chorus of voices warning about the potential dangers of superintelligence. He also launched his own AI company, xAI, last year with the goal of raising $1 billion from investors.
