OpenAI, the artificial intelligence organization co-founded by Elon Musk, has issued a robust rebuttal to Musk’s recent lawsuit, presenting emails suggesting that Musk not only supported the company’s transition to a for-profit model but also expressed a desire for his own company to serve as its “cash cow.”
In a startling blog post released on Tuesday evening, OpenAI asserted that Musk, a founding figure of the organization, had either pushed for a merger between OpenAI and Tesla or sought complete control over the company.
The blog entry serves as a direct response to Musk’s legal action, which contends that OpenAI’s collaboration with Microsoft has compromised its nonprofit objectives. OpenAI countered Musk’s claims, stating that the lawsuit emerged only after the organization began making substantial strides toward its mission independently of Musk’s involvement.
In an effort to clarify the situation, OpenAI shared a series of emails purportedly exchanged with Musk, indicating his support for the shift towards a for-profit model. One email from 2016, included in the post, depicts OpenAI’s chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, suggesting a need for reduced transparency going forward, to which Musk reportedly responded affirmatively, stating, “yup.”
While the authenticity of the emails remains unverified, with portions redacted, they seemingly contradict Musk’s subsequent statements. Musk had claimed in February 2023 that OpenAI had transformed into a “maximum profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft,” a scenario he purportedly did not intend.
However, the disclosed emails suggest that Musk was amenable to OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit entity, endorsing the move as long as he retained control.
According to OpenAI’s post, Musk had purportedly sought majority equity, board control, and the CEO position within the organization. OpenAI maintained that ceding complete control to one individual contradicted its mission, leading to an impasse in negotiations with Musk.
Further emails from January 31, 2018, purportedly show Musk endorsing the idea of Tesla serving as a financial lifeline for OpenAI, agreeing with a suggestion that other tech giants like Apple or Amazon would falter due to “incompatible company DNA.”
“Tesla is the only path that could even hope to hold a candle to Google,” Musk allegedly remarked in response, expressing doubts about other companies’ potential to rival Google’s dominance.
OpenAI disclosed that Musk ultimately departed from the organization in late February 2018, revealing plans to establish a rival artificial intelligence venture within Tesla, later known as xAI Corp.
In a December 2018 email included in the blog post, Musk reportedly assessed OpenAI’s chances of relevance as minimal without substantial changes in execution and resources, advocating for immediate infusion of “billions per year” to remain viable. Musk appended a note expressing hope that his assessment proved incorrect.
While Musk has previously voiced criticisms against OpenAI, his recent escalation of critiques against the organization’s mission has drawn attention.
In its official statement, OpenAI reiterated its intention to seek dismissal of all claims made by Musk, expressing disappointment at the adversarial turn of events involving someone they had deeply respected.
