Recently, 12 former OpenAI employees have publicly supported Elon Musk's lawsuit against the company, arguing that OpenAI's restructuring plan deviates from its original non-profit mission. This lawsuit has garnered significant attention, particularly within the rapidly evolving landscape of the artificial intelligence industry.
According to Reuters, these former employees, who held technical and managerial roles at OpenAI, stated in court documents their strong belief in the importance of the non-profit model. Reflecting on their tenure, they emphasized that non-profit oversight was central to the company's discussions. However, they contend that recent pressure from investors to transition to a for-profit structure could jeopardize OpenAI's core mission.
Image Source: AI-generated image, licensed by Midjourney
These former employees also highlighted the crucial role of the non-profit structure in attracting talent, emphasizing that many joined OpenAI precisely because of its initial ethos. In response, OpenAI maintains that its mission remains unchanged despite the structural shift. The company's board reiterated: "Our non-profit nature will not disappear, and our mission will remain unchanged."
It's noteworthy that Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI, left the company in 2018. In recent years, he has repeatedly criticized OpenAI under Altman's leadership, particularly its shift towards a for-profit model. He first filed the lawsuit in February of last year, withdrew it in June, and then refiled in August.
In the lawsuit, Musk claims he was "betrayed" after investing approximately $45 million in the company. He alleges that OpenAI and its investor, Microsoft, have established an opaque network of for-profit affiliated companies and engaged in widespread self-dealing. Furthermore, Musk's legal team submitted a request for an injunction to the presiding judge, claiming that failure to grant it would cause "irreparable harm," but this request was denied because Musk failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits.
Despite the denial of the injunction, the judge indicated that the case will proceed to trial in a California court this fall, given the public interest and potential legal violations involved in the transformation. This leaves the future trajectory of OpenAI highly anticipated.