OpenAI, the leading artificial intelligence research lab, has fired back at Elon Musk’s recent lawsuit, denying his claims and suggesting his financial contributions were relatively minor.
In a blog post, OpenAI stated that despite Musk’s initial pledge of $1 billion, the company received less than $45 million from him since its founding in 2015. It secured over $90 million from other donors to support its research.
OpenAI’s response comes after Musk sued the company and its co-founders, alleging they strayed from their non-profit mission to develop safe and beneficial AI for humanity and instead pursued profits by partnering with Microsoft.
OpenAI claims it transitioned to a for-profit structure due to the immense financial resources needed to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI). This shift caused friction with Elon Musk, who reportedly proposed merging OpenAI with Tesla or gaining full control.
OpenAI maintains its focus on developing safe and beneficial AGI, highlighting its technology’s positive applications in Kenya and India. The company expressed disappointment with the lawsuit, claiming Elon Musk initially supported the mission but changed course after the company achieved progress without him.
Regarding accusations of abandoning open-source principles, OpenAI clarified that Musk was aware of and agreed to a potential shift away from complete transparency as the company neared the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
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Elon Musk has initiated a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of deviating from the organization’s foundational goal of benefiting humanity to pursue profits. Musk alleges that OpenAI, under its current leadership and in close association with Microsoft, has shifted away from being a nonprofit, open-source entity as originally intended. He claims this transformation prioritizes Microsoft’s profits over the welfare of humanity, especially concerning the development and application of artificial general intelligence (AGI). The lawsuit focuses on breach of contract, fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices, seeking to prevent the misuse of OpenAI’s technology