OpenAI has responded to Elon Musk's lawsuit with emails suggesting that Musk not only supported the company's shift to a for-profit model but also desired his own company to be its 'cash cow.' In a recent blog post, OpenAI revealed that Musk, a co-founder of the company, had expressed interest in merging OpenAI with Tesla or gaining full control over it.
The blog post was a direct response to Musk's legal action, which claims that OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft has compromised its nonprofit mission. OpenAI countered by stating that Musk only filed the lawsuit when the company began making significant progress towards its mission without his involvement.
OpenAI shared a series of emails from Musk to clarify the situation. The emails indicated that Musk supported OpenAI's transition to a for-profit entity. In one email from 2016, Musk agreed that the company would need to be 'less open' moving forward.
Despite Musk's subsequent comments suggesting otherwise, the emails portrayed his approval of OpenAI's move towards a for-profit model as long as he retained control. OpenAI disclosed that Musk sought majority equity, board control, and the CEO position, which conflicted with the company's mission of shared governance.
In a January 2018 email, Musk endorsed the idea of making Tesla a 'cash cow' for OpenAI and expressed skepticism about other tech giants like Apple or Amazon due to their 'incompatible company DNA.' Musk also mentioned his plans to establish an AI competitor within Tesla, which later became xAI Corp.
OpenAI revealed that Musk departed from the company in late February 2018 and expressed doubts about OpenAI's relevance without significant changes in execution and resources. Musk emphasized the need for 'billions per year immediately' for the tech startup to succeed.
Despite Musk's ongoing criticism of OpenAI's mission, the company announced its intention to seek the dismissal of all claims made by Musk and expressed disappointment over the situation with someone they once deeply admired.
Musk, his legal representative, and a Tesla spokesperson did not provide comments in response to Business Insider's request for input on the matter.
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