OpenAI has responded to Elon Musk’s lawsuit in a recent blog post, utilising the tycoon’s own correspondences to illustrate his initial support for the company’s transition into a for-profit entity, and his insistence on raising ‘billions’ to remain significant in comparison to the likes of Google.
The lawsuit was lodged by Musk against OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman, and President Greg Brockman last week. Musk suggested the start-up had deviated from its goal of developing accountable AI and had become indebted to Microsoft, its most prominent investor. OpenAI’s post retorted that this was Musk reeling from an unsuccessful attempt to integrate the company with Tesla.
OpenAI expressed its disappointment in the post, acknowledging their former admiration for Musk who encouraged the company to set their sights higher. In the article, multiple emails were displayed that showed Musk supporting OpenAi’s efforts to raise funds. An extract from one of these emails stated: “This needs billions per year immediately or forget it,” pointing to Musk’s demands for substantial yearly funding.
As a charity, OpenAI had received less than $45 million from Musk and over $90 million from additional benefactors, the post highlighted. The emails evidenced Musk urging the company to aim for bolder fundraising targets. Initially, Altman and Brockman intended to fundraise $100 million, but Musk disagreed, recommending a higher figure. His email read: “We need to go with a much bigger number than $100M to avoid sounding hopeless relative to what Google or Facebook are spending. I think we should say that we are starting with a $1B funding commitment. This is real. I will cover whatever anyone else doesn’t provide.” The blog post was co-written by several of OpenAI’s co-founders, including Altman, Brockman and Ilya Sutskever.
Musk’s lawsuit accuses Microsoft’s close tie with the start-up of compromising the initial objective of creating open-source technology devoid of excessive corporate sway. The claim asserts that OpenAI Inc.’s website to date declares its charter’s intent to ensure AGI ‘is beneficial to all of humanity.’ The lawsuit is referring to a potent AI form that does not yet exist- artificial general intelligence. However, it alleges OpenAI Inc. has in actuality become a non-open-source unofficial subsidiary of the world’s most substantial technology company: Microsoft.
The posts disclosed in the emails imply that Musk approved the notion that OpenAI wouldn’t create open-source software for artificial general intelligence, and wouldn’t always divulge the scientific rationale behind its technological progress. A 2016 email, quoted by the start-up from Sutskever, stated that it will be logical to start becoming more reserved as they approach AI creation. The term ‘Open’ in OpenAI stands for the universal benefit from AI once it’s developed, but withholding scientific sharing is entirely acceptable according to the email. Musk acknowledged this notion by responding with “Yup.”
The OpenAI co-founders, in the blog post, stated that Musk did not always resist corporate control at OpenAI. They claim he made an attempt to integrate OpenAI with his car company, Tesla, as indicated in an email: “Tesla is the solitary path capable of somewhat rivalling Google. Even then, the odds of emerging as a counterbalance to Google are minimal. Although, it’s not entirely non-existent.”
No immediate response came from Tesla when contacted for comment.
Musk is filing a lawsuit against OpenAI for contract violation, breach of fiduciary duty and allegations of unethical business practices, among other grievances. The suit is being filed in his role as a donor to the parent non-profit organisation as recent as 2019. He seeks to compel the San Francisco-based start-up to cease giving benefits to Microsoft and Altman personally.
It’s Sutskever’s return to public visibility with co-authoring the blog post at OpenAI. The chief scientist and former board member, who once voted to remove Altman in November, but subsequently retracted his decision to oust him. – Bloomberg.