Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, along with its co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, as well as its affiliated entities. Musk alleges that the creators of ChatGPT have violated their original contractual agreements by prioritizing profits over the nonprofit’s initial mission to develop AI for the benefit of humanity.
As a co-founder and early supporter of OpenAI, Musk claims that Altman and Brockman persuaded him to establish and fund the startup in 2015 with assurances that it would operate as a nonprofit, aimed at countering Google’s competitive threat. According to the lawsuit, the founding agreement mandated OpenAI to freely share its technology with the public.
The legal action, filed in a San Francisco court, asserts that OpenAI, now recognized as the world’s most valuable AI startup, has transitioned to a for-profit model, focusing on commercializing its AGI research after forming a partnership with Microsoft. Musk contends that OpenAI’s evolution into a de facto subsidiary of Microsoft represents a significant breach of the founding agreement and a betrayal of the organization’s original purpose.
Musk has voiced concerns about OpenAI’s shifting priorities over the past year. The lawsuit highlights his substantial financial contributions to the nonprofit and underscores his refusal to accept a stake in its for-profit division. Additionally, Musk’s social network X introduced Grok, a competitor to ChatGPT, last year.
Sam Altman has addressed Musk’s criticisms in the past, expressing confidence in OpenAI’s contributions to the world despite disagreements with Musk’s views. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has praised ChatGPT’s advancements, emphasizing its superiority over competitors and signaling confidence in Microsoft’s leading position in the AI landscape.
