‘Elon Musk is incoherent, delusional': OpenAI pushes back on former investor’s lawsuit

In a court filing, OpenAI has strongly refuted Elon Musk’s allegations against the company, describing his claims as resting on convoluted and often incoherent factual premises. This response marks the company’s first legal reply to Musk’s February lawsuit, according to CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman.

Musk’s lawsuit accused OpenAI of deviating from its mission of developing responsible artificial intelligence and becoming overly influenced by its largest investor, Microsoft Corporation. OpenAI countered in its filing that it did not breach any agreement with Musk because there was no founding agreement or any agreement whatsoever with him.

The filing also rejected Musk’s claims made in a memo to staff and a recent blog post. OpenAI characterized Musk’s requested relief as extraordinary and based on a fictitious contract. The company asserted that Musk aimed to compel OpenAI to reorganize and distribute its technology according to his imagined terms.

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The conflict between Musk and OpenAI predates the lawsuit and revolves around disagreements regarding the company’s commercialization strategy and its relationship with Microsoft. Musk, who was initially involved with OpenAI as part of its founding team, has been critical of the company’s direction.

OpenAI revealed in its blog post that Musk had previously advocated for integrating the company into Tesla Inc., his automotive company. The filing also suggested that Musk supported the idea of OpenAI operating as a for-profit entity but only under his control. OpenAI’s legal team accused Musk of seeking to capitalize on the company’s technological achievements for his own benefit.

The ongoing dispute between Musk and OpenAI raises significant questions about AI safety and accessibility, extending beyond the confines of the tech industry. Billionaire venture capitalist and OpenAI investor Vinod Khosla weighed in, suggesting that Musk’s lawsuit would not lead to the development of artificial general intelligence through legal means.

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OpenAI also stated in the filing that they are concerned Musk might use the lawsuit to gain access to the company’s proprietary records and technology through pretrial discovery. As a precaution, the company requested that the court designate the case as “complex,” considering its intricate technical nature and the potential involvement of multiple parties and claims.

(With inputs from agencies)