Tech magnate Elon Musk has initiated legal proceedings against OpenAI, a company backed by Microsoft, and its CEO, Sam Altman, among others.
Musk alleges that the company has deviated from its original mission of developing artificial intelligence (AI) for the broad benefit of humanity.
The lawsuit, filed in a San Francisco court on Thursday, states that Musk was approached in 2015 by Altman and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman. They proposed the formation of a non-profit lab dedicated to the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the betterment of humanity. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015, stepped down from the board in 2018, having previously expressed concerns that AI could be "potentially more dangerous than nukes."
The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI has strayed from its original mission. "OpenAI, Inc.'s website continues to profess that its charter is to ensure that AGI benefits all of humanity. In reality, however, OpenAI, Inc. has been transformed into a closed-source de facto subsidiary of the largest technology company in the world: Microsoft," the filing stated.
Musk's legal team argues that OpenAI's focus on maximizing profits for Microsoft contravenes the original agreement. "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," the lawsuit reads.
OpenAI and Microsoft were unavailable for comment at the time of reporting.
The lawsuit seeks to force OpenAI to adhere to the Founding Agreement and return to its mission of developing AGI for the benefit of humanity, rather than for the personal gain of the individual defendants and Microsoft.
Microsoft, currently under scrutiny from EU antitrust regulators over its reported $13 billion investment in OpenAI, recently announced a partnership with French start-up Mistral AI. The US tech giant stated that its investment in the European firm, seen as a counterpart to OpenAI, would unlock "new commercial opportunities" and facilitate global expansion.
This lawsuit brings two of the world's leading tech figures into conflict amidst escalating excitement about the future of AI. OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT, has made waves since its launch in November 2022, becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history and prompting the development of rival chatbots by companies such as Google parent Alphabet and Microsoft.
Both Musk and Altman have been in the news recently. Musk, the world's wealthiest individual, heads electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, rocket and satellite producer SpaceX, and recently reported on the progress of brain chip technology implants developed by his startup Neuralink. He also launched his own AI company, xAI, in July last year.
Altman's relationship with OpenAI has been turbulent. He was abruptly dismissed from the company in November last year, a move that sent shockwaves through the tech industry. However, Altman, a key figure in the AI boom, returned to the company shortly thereafter.
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