OpenAI “Malicious tactics to destroy the company”...Lawsuit against Musk

Conflict brewing between Sam Altman OpenAI CEO and Elon Musk Tesla CEO (Source: AFP)

The conflict between Elon Musk and OpenAI is escalating into a direct confrontation. ChatGPT developer OpenAI filed a lawsuit against Musk on the 9th (local time) in the U.S. Federal Court in San Francisco, California, requesting the court to block Musk's repeated attacks on the company. This is a counteraction to a lawsuit Musk filed last year.

In the lawsuit, OpenAI claims that Musk has made it his mission to "bring down OpenAI," criticizing him for using various means to hinder OpenAI's growth and to seize leadership in artificial intelligence. Specifically, he is accused of conducting malicious campaigns via his owned social media platform, demanding access to OpenAI's internal documents without cause, and causing confusion through acquisition proposals with no real intent.

Last February, Musk proposed to acquire the key assets of the nonprofit organization central to OpenAI's governance for $97.4 billion through a group of investors he leads. This amount is less than a third of OpenAI's estimated valuation of $300 billion, and OpenAI has categorized this as a 'fake acquisition attempt.'

This lawsuit is not just a corporate dispute but extends the long-standing conflict between Musk and Sam Altman OpenAI CEO. Both co-founded OpenAI together in 2015, however, they showed differences in opinion regarding commercialization directions, leading to Musk's departure in 2018. As OpenAI has rapidly grown around ChatGPT, Musk has consistently argued that the company has abandoned its original nonprofit ethos in favor of an investor-centric structure.

In this lawsuit, OpenAI emphasizes that while Musk publicly advocates for "AI for the public," he is in reality seeking to expand his personal influence, classifying Musk's actions as anti-competitive and illegal attempts. They have also requested the court to sanction Musk to prevent further disruptive actions in the future.

Musk's lawsuit is set to be addressed in a jury trial next spring, and the conflict between both parties is expected to develop into a long-term confrontation over technological dominance and corporate control.