The clash between Elon Musk and Sam Altman is now entering a serious phase as the two are involved in a legal battle in the United States.
This conflict has the potential to change the direction of OpenAI and the future of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry as a whole.
It all started with a change in the structure of OpenAI. Founded in 2015 as a non-profit organization, the company then switched to a “capped-profit” model in 2019 before moving towards a more commercial structure.
This shift allowed for major investments, including close collaboration with Microsoft, but at the same time raised questions about OpenAI’s original mission.
Musk claims that this change violates the initial promise, where the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) should be open and benefit humanity as a whole.
He accuses OpenAI of deviating from its original purpose and turning into an entity that pursues profit, including through licensing technology to Microsoft such as Copilot.
Musk also filed several serious claims including breach of contract, misleading advertising and unfair business practices.
In the lawsuit, Musk not only wants OpenAI's profit structure to be overturned, but also seeks damages of up to US$130 billion and the removal of Altman and Greg Brockman from the leadership of the for-profit entity.
The case is seen as a major test for the AI industry, as to whether the technology of the future will remain an open asset for all, or continue to move as a high-value commercial product controlled by giant companies.
