OpenAI Responds to Elon Musk’s Lawsuit, Accuses Him of Suing After Failed Attempt to Include Company in Tesla

In a robust countermove, OpenAI issued a blog post on Tuesday, hitting back at Elon Musk, who recently filed a lawsuit against the company, CEO Sam Altman, and President Greg Brockman. The response sheds light on Musk’s alleged attempts to integrate OpenAI into Tesla, leading to the legal dispute.

The blog post expresses sadness over the situation, stating, “We’re sad that it’s come to this with someone whom we’ve deeply admired,” outlining Musk’s journey from an inspiration to a competitor and now a litigant. OpenAI accuses Musk of initiating the lawsuit after failing to integrate the company into Tesla, despite initial efforts.

The billionaire Tesla CEO filed the lawsuit in San Francisco, alleging that OpenAI had deviated from its mission to create responsible AI and criticized its close ties with Microsoft. Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, claims the startup’s transformation into a “closed-source de facto subsidiary” of Microsoft contradicts its original mission of fostering open-source technology free from excessive corporate influence.

The lawsuit accuses OpenAI of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices. Musk, in his capacity as a donor to the nonprofit parent organization, seeks to compel OpenAI to cease benefiting Microsoft and Altman personally.

The blog post marks OpenAI’s public response to Musk’s lawsuit, highlighting its categorical disagreement with the claims. While Musk’s legal action focuses on the alleged departure from OpenAI’s original mission, the company defends its progress towards responsible AI and accuses Musk of discontent after failing to include OpenAI in Tesla’s endeavors. The dispute underscores the complexities of balancing corporate partnerships, mission objectives, and the evolving landscape of AI development.