Source: AFP
Elon Musk revived a lawsuit Monday against OpenAI, accusing its co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman of betraying the AI company’s founding mission.
The case against ChatGPT maker OpenAI is “a textbook case of altruism versus greed,” claims the complaint filed in federal court in California.
“Fraud and deceit have Shakespearean proportions.”
The filing of the complaint by the Tesla billionaire and SpaceX co-founder comes nearly two months after he abruptly dropped a similar lawsuit against OpenAI, Altman and Brockman.
Musk, who left San Francisco-based OpenAI in 2018, accuses them in the latest complaint of fraud, conspiracy and false advertising.
He said he originally invested in OpenAI in 2015 with the understanding that it would be a non-profit, but Altman “manipulated and deceived” him, eventually joining forces with software giant Microsoft.
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“Altman assured Musk that the non-profit structure guaranteed neutrality and a focus on safety and transparency for the benefit of humanity rather than shareholder value,” the suit states. “But as it turns out, this was all charity—the hook for Altman’s long con.
“The resulting OpenAI network, in which Altman and Microsoft hold significant interests, was recently valued at a staggering $100 billion,” the lawsuit states.
“As a result of their illegal actions, the defendants have been unjustly enriched to the tune of billions of dollars, while Musk, who co-founded their de facto for-profit startup, has been defrauded along with the public. “
OpenAI captured the public imagination in late 2022 with the release of ChatGPT, which can create poems and essays and even ace exams. The company has also developed image and video creation tools that are considered industry leaders.
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Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI since 2019, poured billions more into the company last year.
And the software giant stepped in when OpenAI’s board fired CEO Altman in November, hiring him and offering to house any staff members unhappy with his ouster.
OpenAI’s board reversed course as dissent soared at the company, reinstating Altman and replacing several board members.
Since leaving OpenAI, Musk has joined the chorus of critics warning that artificial intelligence could spell the end for humanity.
He started his own artificial intelligence company, xAI, last year.
Musk is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.
Source: AFP
