The ongoing legal dispute between Elon Musk and OpenAI has intensified, with OpenAI releasing a blog post addressing Musk’s allegations and revealing text messages exchanged among key figures, including Musk, OpenAI cofounders Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman, Sam Altman, and former board member Shivon Zilis.
In its blog post, OpenAI directly responds to Musk’s claims, emphasizing the organization’s commitment to advancing artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the benefit of humanity. “You can’t sue your way to AGI,” the post states, referencing AGI—a milestone Altman has assured is on the horizon. It further reads, “We have great respect for Elon’s accomplishments and gratitude for his early contributions to OpenAI, but he should be competing in the marketplace rather than the courtroom. It is critical for the U.S. to remain the global leader in AI. Our mission is to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity, and we have been and will remain a mission-driven organization. We hope Elon shares that goal and will uphold the values of innovation and free-market competition that have driven his own success.”
The blog discloses previously unseen text messages that shed light on Musk’s interactions with OpenAI leadership. One example is a message from Brockman to Zilis in July 2017, recounting a meeting where Musk suggested that OpenAI’s nonprofit structure might no longer be suitable. Musk had reportedly stated, “A non-profit was definitely the right structure early on but may not be the right one now.” Later that month, Brockman proposed a three-step vision for OpenAI: transitioning from an AI research nonprofit in 2017 to a for-profit AI research and hardware venture in 2018, and eventually becoming a government project, although the timing for the latter was uncertain.
Another revelation involves Musk’s attempt to assume the CEO role and gain majority control of OpenAI. While Musk reportedly claimed on a call that he “didn’t care about equity” and only wanted to secure $80 billion for his Mars city ambitions, the blog indicates that his maneuvering raised concerns among OpenAI cofounders. Brockman and Sutskever admitted fearing a potential power struggle. Musk also proposed spinning OpenAI into Tesla, a plan the cofounders ultimately rejected, prompting Musk to resign from the organization.
After stepping down, Musk addressed OpenAI employees during a farewell meeting, urging them to pursue substantial funding opportunities. He expressed his belief that Tesla was uniquely positioned to raise the billions required for advanced AI research. According to OpenAI, Musk later turned his focus to developing AI within Tesla.
The blog also delves into Musk’s reaction to OpenAI’s growing valuation. Around the time Musk was negotiating his acquisition of Twitter, he texted Altman expressing discontent over OpenAI’s $20 billion valuation. Musk wrote, “De facto. I provided almost all the seed, A and most of B round funding. This is a bait and switch.” Shortly after this exchange, Musk launched xAI, an AI company positioned as a competitor to OpenAI.
The messages released by OpenAI align with details from Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against the organization and its partner, Microsoft. Musk first filed the lawsuit in March 2024, alleging that OpenAI had deviated from its nonprofit mission of developing AI for public benefit. However, the case was withdrawn in June without explanation, only to be refiled in August.
OpenAI’s recent blog post seeks to refute Musk’s narrative, arguing that he, rather than Altman, attempted to consolidate power during OpenAI’s formative years. This counters Musk’s claims in the lawsuit that Altman has centralized authority within the organization.
By sharing these internal communications, OpenAI aims to reinforce its commitment to its stated mission and refute the accusations leveled by Musk. It also highlights a critical inflection point in the debate over AI governance, emphasizing the importance of balancing innovation, competition, and accountability in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.