Elon Musk has sparked a debate in the tech industry by criticizing OpenAI’s profit-driven motivation under Sam Altman’s leadership. The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX pointed out that OpenAI was initially established as an open-source, non-profit entity but later transitioned to a profit-oriented structure. This shift has led to legal challenges for OpenAI and raised concerns over its ethical implications in AI development.

OpenAI’s Transition to a Profit Model

Musk stated on the X platform, “OpenAI was announced as an open-source, non-profit model and funded as such. However, it has transformed into a closed-source, profit-maximizing entity.” This initial structure provided various tax and other benefits during its early stages. However, the transition to a for-profit model has increased the challenges faced by the company.

Organizations like Encode have filed amicus briefs against Altman’s company, calling on federal courts to prevent OpenAI’s shift toward profit-making. Encode warned that this transition could expose humanity to existential risks posed by artificial intelligence in favor of investor returns.

Support from Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has also voiced support for Musk’s fight against OpenAI’s profit-driven shift. Meta has formally petitioned California Attorney General Rob Bonta to intervene and halt OpenAI’s transformation. This backing i...