On Thursday, a legal action was initiated by Elon Musk against OpenAI, along with its co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, and affiliated entities. The lawsuit alleges that the creators of ChatGPT have deviated from their original contractual commitments by prioritizing financial gains over the nonprofit organization’s initial objective of developing Artificial Intelligence for the betterment of humanity.
Elon Musk, who initially supported OpenAI, asserts that Altman and Brockman convinced him to invest in the venture back in 2015 under the premise that it would operate as a non-profit entity to challenge Google’s dominance in the field.
As per the lawsuit, OpenAI has transitioned to a profit-oriented model, particularly focusing on commercializing its research on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) in collaboration with Microsoft, one of the world’s largest corporations.
The legal filing contends that OpenAI, Inc. has effectively become a proprietary subsidiary of Microsoft, diverging from its original purpose of advancing AGI for societal progress and instead aiming to enhance Microsoft’s profitability. This shift is deemed a significant violation of the founding agreement.
In response to Musk’s objections regarding OpenAI’s altered direction, the lawsuit highlights Musk’s substantial contributions exceeding $44 million to the organization between 2016 and September 2020, making him the primary donor during the initial years. Despite being offered a stake in OpenAI’s profit-driven division, Musk declined the proposal citing ethical reservations.
The focal point of the litigation revolves around GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest language model, which Musk asserts possesses AGI capabilities comparable to, if not surpassing, human intelligence. Musk alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft have improperly commercialized GPT-4, contradicting the initial understanding that OpenAI’s AGI endeavors would remain non-commercial and serve societal interests.
Musk seeks to compel OpenAI to realign with its original mission and prevent the exploitation of technologies developed for profit at the expense of OpenAI’s stakeholders or collaborators such as Microsoft.
Furthermore, the lawsuit requests the court to mandate that any advancements in artificial general intelligence, including models like GPT-4, which surpass the scope of licensing agreements, be evaluated. In the event that the court determines OpenAI’s research now prioritizes personal gain, Musk demands financial reparations and potential reimbursement of donations.
The legal action also criticizes the restructuring of OpenAI’s board by Mr. Altman, alleging that the new composition lacks the requisite expertise in AI leadership and ethics. The lawsuit contends that the revised board comprises individuals with more background in profit-centric enterprises or politics rather than in the domain of AI governance.
