Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, believes Elon Musk’s recent lawsuit against the organization goes beyond the debate over open-source technology.

Musk’s Lawsuit and Allegations

Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, along with Altman and cofounder Greg Brockman, alleging that the company had deviated from its original nonprofit mission by forming partnerships with entities like Microsoft. The lawsuit cited OpenAI’s founding agreement, which emphasized a commitment to open-source technology for public benefit.

Altman’s Response

In an interview with podcaster Lex Fridman, Altman expressed his opinion that Musk’s motives extend beyond concerns about open-source principles. He highlighted Musk’s unusual proposal for OpenAI to change its name to “ClosedAI” as evidence of the seriousness of the lawsuit.

Altman also lamented the situation, stating that it is disappointing to see someone of Musk’s stature resorting to legal action against OpenAI, considering Musk’s own experience with facing criticism.

Critique of Musk’s Actions

Altman criticized Musk’s timing in releasing the code for his chatbot Grok as being opportunistic, suggesting that Musk only did so after facing criticism for perceived hypocrisy.

Conclusion

Despite attempts to reach out for comment, neither OpenAI nor Elon Musk responded to inquiries from Business Insider regarding the lawsuit. Altman’s remarks underscore the complexity of the situation and the disappointment felt by those who admired Musk’s contributions to innovation.