- Elon Musk has dropped his lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, which alleged the deviation from OpenAI’s original mission of developing AI for public benefit.
- The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, allowing Musk the option to refile in the future.
- OpenAI is a company that Musk co-founded and has since garnered significant investment from Microsoft.
OUR TAKE
Elon Musk’s withdrawal of his lawsuit against OpenAI underscores the ongoing tension between ethical AI development and commercialisation. Musk’s reserved right to refile indicates a strategic move, keeping future influence over OpenAI’s trajectory open while focusing on his own AI ventures. The balance between profit and public good in AI remains a critical issue.
–Lydia Luo, BTW reporter
Elon Musk has withdrawn his lawsuit against OpenAI, a company he co-founded, accusing it of straying from its founding mission of developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity rather than for profit. The lawsuit’s dismissal, requested by Musk’s attorneys, was filed in the San Francisco Superior Court on Tuesday, just a day before a scheduled hearing on OpenAI’s motion to dismiss the case.
Dismissal without prejudice
Elon Musk’s decision to withdraw the lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman was executed without prejudice. This legal manoeuvre allows Musk the flexibility to refile the lawsuit at a later date if he chooses. The initial complaint, filed in February, accused OpenAI of abandoning its foundational goals by prioritising financial gains, particularly after releasing its advanced language model, GPT-4. Musk’s legal team did not provide a specific reason for the withdrawal in the court filing. The lawsuit had sought to compel OpenAI to publicly share its research and technology and to prevent the company from utilising its assets, including GPT-4, for profit-driven purposes benefiting companies like Microsoft.
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OpenAI’s defence and legal proceedings
In response to Musk’s allegations, OpenAI’s attorneys argued that the lawsuit was unfounded and aimed at advancing Musk’s own interests in the AI sector. They characterised the lawsuit as a poorly constructed attempt to undermine OpenAI’s accomplishments and redirect them to Musk’s advantage. OpenAI emphasised the technological strides it has made, which Musk, according to them, now seeks to exploit for his benefit. “Seeing the remarkable technological advances OpenAI has achieved, Musk now wants that success for himself,” OpenAI’s attorneys said.
