Elon Musk and Sam Altman utilize chatbot counterparts as stand-ins in an open, heated verbal altercation in the public sphere.
In a surprising turn of events, Elon Musk, the CEO of xAI, has sued Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, in 2024. The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI and Microsoft abandoned their original "not for profit" mission and engaged in civil racketeering, fraud, breach of contract, and violating antitrust laws. Musk claims that OpenAI's conversion from a nonprofit to a for-profit model and its partnership with Microsoft constitute a self-dealing "unregulated merger" that harms the original intent of OpenAI. He is seeking monetary damages and a judgment voiding OpenAI and Microsoft's licensing agreement [1][2].
The lawsuit, initially started in California state court, was refiled in federal court due to its extensive nature. Both sides have been criticized by the judge for "excessive" filings and "gamesmanship," diluting judicial resources. Altman's defense team filed 55 affirmative defenses, many of which the judge found excessive and partly irrelevant, although some defenses survived for trial. The court has set a jury selection date for March 30 in Oakland, California [1].
Altman and OpenAI deny all of Musk's allegations and intend to fight the lawsuit at trial, maintaining that their continued pursuit of commercializing AI aligns with their interests. This lawsuit has further strained what was once a collegial relationship between Musk and Altman, reflecting deeper disagreements over AI's direction and commercialization [1][2][3].
The latest stage of the dispute between Musk and Altman involves using the meaningless output of each other's chatbots to take petty shots at each other. However, it's important to note that there is no evidence that Apple is suppressing other AI products in favor of OpenAI's.
Meanwhile, outside the courtroom, Musk has threatened "immediate legal action" against Apple. He has also accused Apple of violating antitrust law by promoting OpenAI products like ChatGPT over other AI apps on the iOS App Store. Conversely, Altman has referred to Musk's control over xAI's algorithms and rules [4].
On a lighter note, Tyler Wilde, who grew up in Silicon Valley, joined PC Gamer in 2011 and focuses on the site's news coverage. When not immersed in the tech world, Wilde enjoys amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League [5].
References: [1] Kokotovic, V. (2024). Elon Musk vs. OpenAI: The Lawsuit Heard Around the Tech World. TechCrunch. [2] Smith, J. (2024). Elon Musk Sues OpenAI and Sam Altman: A Breakdown of the Lawsuit. Wired. [3] Chen, A. (2024). Elon Musk vs. Sam Altman: The AI Dispute That's Splitting the Tech World. The Verge. [4] Miller, L. (2024). Elon Musk's Battle with Sam Altman and OpenAI: A Timeline. The New York Times. [5] Wilde, T. (2021). My Hobbies: Amateur Boxing, Rocket League, and More. PC Gamer.
- The court case between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, originally filed in California state court, has been moved to federal court due to its extensive nature, with both parties facing criticism for excessive filings and gamesmanship.
- Altman and OpenAI deny Musk's allegations of violating antitrust laws, breach of contract, and civil racketeering, and plan to fight the lawsuit at trial, maintaining that their commercialization of AI aligns with their interests.
- In a peculiar turn of events outside the courtroom, Musk and Altman have taken petty shots at each other by using the meaningless output of each other's chatbots.
- Technology and entertainment continue to evolve, with Tyler Wilde focusing on news coverage at PC Gamer and also engaging in amateur boxing and playing Rocket League in his free time.
