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Elon Musk Sues OpenAI: Profit Over Humanity
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In a pivotal move that could reshape the AI industry, Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, alleging that the pursuit of profit has led the company to abandon its founding mission to develop artificial intelligence technology for the benefit of humanity.
According to a report from The Verge, the lawsuit, filed with a San Francisco court on Thursday, accuses OpenAI of breaching its founding agreement by keeping the design of its GPT-4 model a "complete secret," a decision that was "primarily driven by commercial considerations, not safety." The suit claims that GPT-4 has become "a de facto Microsoft proprietary algorithm" due to OpenAI's partnership with the tech giant.
OpenAI was co-founded by Musk in 2015 with the goal of developing AI technology as a non-profit and keeping its advancements open-source. Musk, who no longer retains a stake in the company, had previously warned about the risks of unchecked AI advancement and called for safeguards to prevent such systems from replacing humans.
However, the lawsuit alleges that OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft has transformed the organization "into a closed-source de facto subsidiary" focused on maximizing profits, deviating from its founding principles.
Key Allegations on OpenAI
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The lawsuit seeks to force OpenAI to adhere to its founding agreement and "return to its mission to develop AGI for the benefit of humanity," rather than benefiting Altman, Brockman, and Microsoft — "the largest technology company in the world."
One of the key allegations is that OpenAI kept the design of its GPT-4 model a "complete secret," a decision "primarily driven by commercial considerations, not safety." The suit claims that GPT-4 is now "a de facto Microsoft proprietary algorithm," constituting a breach of the founding agreement to make the project's technology open-source.
According to the lawsuit, the GPT-4 model released by OpenAI in March 2023 is not just capable of reasoning but is actually "better at reasoning than average humans," having scored in the 90th percentile on the Uniform Bar Examination for lawyers.
The company is also rumored to be developing a more advanced model, known as "Q Star," which has a stronger claim to being true artificial general intelligence (AGI).
OpenAI's Inner Turmoil
The lawsuit delves into the internal dynamics at OpenAI, alleging that in the days following Altman's brief firing and rehiring in 2023, he, Brockman, and Microsoft "exploited Microsoft's significant leverage over OpenAI" to replace board members with handpicked alternatives more favorable to Microsoft's interests.
"The new Board members lack substantial AI expertise and, on information and belief, are ill equipped by design to make an independent determination of whether and when OpenAI has attained AGI," claims the lawsuit, as reported by The Verge.
The partnership between OpenAI and Microsoft is currently under examination by regulators in the UK, EU, and US to assess if their shared relationship impacts competition in the AI industry.
This lawsuit adds further scrutiny to the relationship and could potentially set a precedent for future AI companies and the ethical standards they must adhere to.
Implications and Potential Outcomes
Musk's lawsuit is a call for OpenAI to return to its original mission of developing AGI for the benefit of humanity, rather than prioritizing profit motives. It reignites the broader debate on the priorities that should guide AI development – commercial interests or the greater good of society.
The outcome of this legal battle could have far-reaching implications for the AI industry, shaping the way companies approach the development and dissemination of advanced AI technologies.
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