Elon Musk SUES OpenAI

ISSUE 025

Welcome to the 25th edition of Curious Hours

Welcome back to another edition of Curious Hours and today we’ll be looking at the reason as to why Elon Musk is SUING Open AI.

Lets get started as to how Elon Musk is associated with Open AI

Where it all started:

• OpenAI was founded in December 2015 as a non-profit artificial intelligence research company. The goal was to advance digital intelligence in a way that could benefit humanity as a whole, without being constrained by a need to generate financial return. Elon Musk was one of the co-founders, along with Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, Wojciech Zaremba, and John Schulman, among others.

• Musk was instrumental in the creation of OpenAI. He was concerned about the potential risks associated with AI and wanted to ensure that advancements in AI technology would be made openly and ethically, for the benefit of all. Musk, along with other donors, provided significant funding to get OpenAI off the ground, contributing $44 million of the initial funds required to establish the organisation.

Transition to a Capped-Profit Model

• Shift in Structure: In 2019, OpenAI transitioned from a non-profit entity to a "capped profit" model by creating OpenAI LP, a for-profit company under the larger OpenAI umbrella. This move was intended to attract the investment necessary to achieve the ambitious goals of OpenAI, while still adhering to their core principles of sharing benefits widely and avoiding overly concentrated control of AGI technology. Elon Musk, however, had stepped away from active involvement with OpenAI by this point.

Diverging Views and Conflicts

• Over time, Elon Musk expressed concerns about the direction in which OpenAI was heading, particularly regarding its partnerships and the potential for its technology to be used in ways that might not align with his original vision of ensuring AI benefits all of humanity. Musk's concerns were not just about the governance and ethical directions but also about the potential monopolisation of AI technologies by powerful entities.

Transition to a Capped-Profit Model

• Shift in Structure: In 2019, OpenAI transitioned from a non-profit entity to a "capped profit" model by creating OpenAI LP, a for-profit company under the larger OpenAI umbrella. This move was intended to attract the investment necessary to achieve the ambitious goals of OpenAI, while still adhering to their core principles of sharing benefits widely and avoiding overly concentrated control of AGI technology. Elon Musk, however, had stepped away from active involvement with OpenAI by this point.

Diverging Views and Conflicts

• Over time, Elon Musk expressed concerns about the direction in which OpenAI was heading, particularly regarding its partnerships and the potential for its technology to be used in ways that might not align with his original vision of ensuring AI benefits all of humanity. Musk's concerns were not just about the governance and ethical directions but also about the potential monopolisation of AI technologies by powerful entities.

• Breach of Founding Principles and Contract: Musk alleges that OpenAI has diverged from its original, non-profit mission, which was to develop Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) for the benefit of humanity, not for profit. He claims that the company has been transformed into a closed-source entity effectively operating as a subsidiary of Microsoft, focusing on profit maximisation rather than the broader benefit to humanity​​​​.

• Leadership and Structural Changes: The lawsuit details a significant leadership crisis in 2019, leading to the temporary removal of Sam Altman from the company, followed by his reinstatement after intervention by Microsoft. This event led to a reshuffle of the OpenAI board, which, according to Musk, has moved away from the organisation's original mission. Musk asserts that these changes were against the spirit of OpenAI's founding principles​​​​.

• Microsoft's Involvement: Musk's complaint extensively mentions Microsoft's influence over OpenAI. He argues that Microsoft's involvement has turned OpenAI into an entity focused on profits, particularly benefiting Microsoft, which contradicts OpenAI's initial commitment to open-source and non-profit goals. The lawsuit expresses concerns over the use of OpenAI's assets and developments for Microsoft's financial gain rather than for public good​​​​.

• Request for Judicial and Public Disclosure: Musk is seeking a judicial declaration that GPT-4 constitutes AGI and should not be under the exclusive control or benefit of Microsoft or OpenAI. He demands that OpenAI's technology be made public and that the company should be prohibited from using its resources for the exclusive financial benefit of Microsoft or itself​​.

• Concerns Over AI Safety and Ethics: The lawsuit reflects Musk's broader concerns about the safety and ethical use of artificial intelligence. He contrasts his view of AGI as a potential existential threat with what he perceives as the current OpenAI leadership's view of it as a source of profit and power​​.

We’ve now come to the end of the 25th edition of Curious Hours and if you enjoyed this edition, why not share to friends and family using the link below.

Contact us on email:

[email protected] for any enquires, questions or feedback on our newsletter.

Get in touch personally with our emails:

[email protected] (Founder of Curious Hours and MORAZO AI | Over 300k YouTube Views on AI Meets Football | Author and researcher of Curious Hours Content)

[email protected] (AI Enthusiastic Member & Contributor of Curious Hours)