In a significant legal move, Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the developer behind ChatGPT, and its CEO, Sam Altman. Musk's allegations pivot on a breach of the founding agreement, asserting that the company has shifted its focus from benefiting humanity to prioritizing profits.
This lawsuit has brought to light Musk's concerns regarding OpenAI's close ties with Microsoft, which he believes have steered the company away from its original mission of developing accessible technologies free from corporate influences. "Even today, the OpenAI Inc. website continues to claim that its charter is to advance AI for the 'benefit of all humanity.' However, in reality, OpenAI Inc. has transformed into a closed subsidiary of what is effectively the world's largest tech company - Microsoft," the lawsuit states.
The legal document further criticizes changes in OpenAI's leadership that occurred last year, describing the period as "chaotic." It details how Altman was temporarily removed from his CEO position, only to be rapidly reinstated with support from Microsoft. According to the lawsuit, Altman, OpenAI President Greg Brockman, and Microsoft collaborated to dismiss most of the startup's board members who were dedicated to its original mission of developing technology for the good of humanity.
"The Mr. Altman personally selected a new board of directors lacking in technical expertise or significant experience in AI management, in contrast to the previous board. This new board consisted of individuals with more experience in commercial enterprises or politics than in ethics and governance. They were also reportedly 'big fans of Altman,'" the lawsuit elaborates.
The lawsuit alleges that this restructuring led OpenAI Inc. to abandon its non-commercial mission of developing AI for the benefit of all humanity, thereby handing it over to a large commercial corporation where power would be "unduly concentrated."
It's also noted that following a board decision, Sam Altman stepped down as the CEO of OpenAI, with Mira Murati, the then Chief Technology Officer, temporarily taking the helm. Major OpenAI investors, including Microsoft, demanded Altman's return to the CEO position after his unexpected dismissal by the board.
On November 20, it was revealed that the former CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, and the company's president, Greg Brockman, would join Microsoft to lead a new advanced AI research group. Shortly thereafter, Altman was reinstated as CEO of the company.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is investigating whether OpenAI investors were misled during last year's executive turnover when CEO Sam Altman was temporarily suspended from his role. This lawsuit and the surrounding circumstances highlight the growing tensions between the pursuit of technological advancement, corporate interests, and the ethical considerations of AI development.
