OpenAI Executives Respond to Elon Musk’s Lawsuit, Express Regret Over His Departure
In a surprising turn of events, OpenAI executives have disputed the claims made by Elon Musk in his recent lawsuit against the company. They assert that Musk’s grievances stem from his regret over no longer being a part of the artificial intelligence startup. OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon addressed the issue in an internal memo viewed by CNBC, stating, “We believe the claims in this suit may stem from Elon’s regrets about not being involved with the company today.”
Elon Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015, stepped down from its board in 2018. However, he is now suing the Microsoft-backed company and CEO Sam Altman, among others, alleging that they have abandoned OpenAI’s original mission to develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. Musk’s lawyers claim that he contributed over $15 million to OpenAI in 2016, making him the largest donor at the time. They also highlight his significant financial contributions in subsequent years, totaling over $44 million.
While Kwon acknowledges Musk’s central role in the early days of OpenAI, he adds some additional details. According to Kwon, Musk had expressed a desire for “full initial control and majority equity” and even suggested merging OpenAI with Tesla. However, OpenAI did not believe that either approach aligned with their mission.
The dispute between Musk and OpenAI has been ongoing for some time. Before his departure from OpenAI, Tesla hired co-founder Andrej Karpathy as senior director of AI. However, Karpathy returned to OpenAI in 2023. Musk has also been vocal about his opposition to OpenAI and its partnership with Microsoft, claiming that the company has deviated from its original mission.
Despite the lawsuit and the differences between Musk and OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman expressed admiration for Musk and his contributions. Altman referred to Musk as a hero and expressed his fondness for the old version of his co-founder. However, he emphasized that OpenAI’s mission continues, stating, “We did not think either approach was right for the mission.”
OpenAI, which gained significant attention after releasing the ChatGPT chatbot to the public in late 2022, has become one of the most valuable startups globally, with a reported valuation exceeding $80 billion. The company faced internal turmoil last year when Altman was briefly ousted by the board due to the convoluted “capped-profit” structure. However, investor and employee uproar led to Altman’s swift reinstatement.
While the lawsuit between Musk and OpenAI is a significant development, it is important to note that OpenAI maintains its commitment to developing artificial general intelligence for the benefit of humanity. Kwon reiterated that OpenAI is an independent entity and continues to work towards ensuring that AGI benefits all of humanity.
As this legal battle unfolds, it remains to be seen how it will impact the future of OpenAI and its mission. Both sides have presented their arguments, but only time will tell how this dispute will be resolved.
