ELON MUSK SUES OPENAI AND CEO SAM ALTMAN, CLAIMING BETRAYAL OF ITS GOAL TO BENEFIT HUMANITY
Techlife News|Techlife News #645
Elon Musk is suing OpenAl and its CEO Sam Altman over what he says is a betrayal of the ChatGPT maker's founding aims of benefiting humanity rather than pursuing profits.
ELON MUSK SUES OPENAI AND CEO SAM ALTMAN, CLAIMING BETRAYAL OF ITS GOAL TO BENEFIT HUMANITY

In a lawsuit filed at San Francisco Superior Court, billionaire Musk said that when he bankrolled OpenAl's creation, he secured an agreement with Altman and Greg Brockman, the president, to keep the AI company as a nonprofit that would develop technology for the benefit of the public.

Under its founding agreement, OpenAl would also make its code open to the public instead of walling it off for any private company's gains, the lawsuit says.

However, by embracing a close relationship with Microsoft, OpenAl and its top executives have set that pact "aflame" and are "perverting" the company's mission, Musk alleges in the lawsuit.

OpenAl declined to comment on the lawsuit.

"OpenAI, Inc. has been transformed into a closed-source de facto subsidiary of the largest technology company in the world: Microsoft," the lawsuit filed says. "Under its new Board, it is not just developing but is actually refining an AGI to maximize profits for Microsoft, rather than for the benefit of humanity!"

AGI refers to artificial general intelligence, which are general purpose AI systems that can perform just as well as or even better than-humans in a wide variety of tasks.

Musk is suing over breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and unfair business practices. He also wants an injunction to prevent anyone, including Microsoft, from benefiting from OpenAl's technology.

Those claims are unlikely to succeed in court but that might not be the point for Musk, who is getting his take and personal story on the record, said Anupam Chander, a law professor at Georgetown University.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM TECHLIFE NEWSView all
TECH TIP: START THE NEW YEAR WITH A CLEAN INBOX
Techlife News

TECH TIP: START THE NEW YEAR WITH A CLEAN INBOX

The new year is always a good time to make a fresh start — including with your email inbox. To kick off 2025 with a clean slate, why not clear out all those unnecessary and unwanted messages?

time-read
3 mins  |
January 18, 2025
AGING WELL MEANS HAVING GOOD BALANCE.HERE'S HOW TO PRIORITIZE IT
Techlife News

AGING WELL MEANS HAVING GOOD BALANCE.HERE'S HOW TO PRIORITIZE IT

Taking a shower. Grocery shopping. Moving around the kitchen. Getting dressed. The underappreciated link between these mundane activities is good balance, which geriatricians say is key to maintaining an independent lifestyle as we age.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 18, 2025
PRIME VIDEO'S USE OF AI, NEXT GEN STATS ON NFL GAMES IS HELPING VIEWERS UNDERSTAND THE GAME BETTER
Techlife News

PRIME VIDEO'S USE OF AI, NEXT GEN STATS ON NFL GAMES IS HELPING VIEWERS UNDERSTAND THE GAME BETTER

The Los Angeles Rams defense appeared to be content to drop back in coverage and prevent San Francisco's Brock Purdy from completing a Hail Mary on the final play of their Thursday night game on Dec. 12.

time-read
4 mins  |
January 18, 2025
GOOGLE FACES MORE SCRUTINY AS UK WATCHDOG FLEXES NEW DIGITAL COMPETITION POWERS
Techlife News

GOOGLE FACES MORE SCRUTINY AS UK WATCHDOG FLEXES NEW DIGITAL COMPETITION POWERS

Britain's competition watchdog flexed new digital market powers for the first time with an investigation into Google's search and search ad businesses.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 18, 2025
BOEING'S AIRCRAFT DELIVERIES AND ORDERS IN 2024 REFLECT THE COMPANY'S ROUGH YEAR
Techlife News

BOEING'S AIRCRAFT DELIVERIES AND ORDERS IN 2024 REFLECT THE COMPANY'S ROUGH YEAR

Boeing delivered less than half the number of commercial aircraft to customers than its European rival in 2024 as the American aerospace giant's output suffered under intensified government scrutiny and a factory workers' strike, according to data released this week.

time-read
1 min  |
January 18, 2025
TAIWAN IPHONE MAKER FOXCONN SETS ITS SIGHTS ON THE EVER MORE CROWDED EV MARKET
Techlife News

TAIWAN IPHONE MAKER FOXCONN SETS ITS SIGHTS ON THE EVER MORE CROWDED EV MARKET

Auto industry newcomers like Taiwan-based iPhone maker Foxconn and China's Huawei Technologies are maneuvering to gain an edge in the electric vehicle sector, prompting automakers like Japan's Nissan and Honda to announce plans to join forces against a flood of ambitious competitors.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 18, 2025
CAN AI HELP HUMANS UNDERSTAND ANIMALS AND RECONNECT WITH NATURE? A NONPROFIT RESEARCH LAB THINKS SO
Techlife News

CAN AI HELP HUMANS UNDERSTAND ANIMALS AND RECONNECT WITH NATURE? A NONPROFIT RESEARCH LAB THINKS SO

Peeps trickle out of a soundproof chamber as its door opens. Female zebra finches are chattering away inside the microphone-lined box. The laboratory room sounds like a chorus of squeaky toys.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 18, 2025
AMAZON IS ENDING ITS 'TRY BEFORE YOU BUY' OPTION FOR PRIME MEMBERS
Techlife News

AMAZON IS ENDING ITS 'TRY BEFORE YOU BUY' OPTION FOR PRIME MEMBERS

Amazon is saying goodbye to “Try Before You Buy.”

time-read
1 min  |
January 18, 2025
TAIWANESE CHIPMAKER TSMC POSTS 57% SURGE IN PROFIT THANKS TO THE AI BOOM
Techlife News

TAIWANESE CHIPMAKER TSMC POSTS 57% SURGE IN PROFIT THANKS TO THE AI BOOM

Taiwan computer chip maker TSMC reported Thursday that its profit in the last quarter rose 57%, buoyed by the artificial intelligence boom.

time-read
1 min  |
January 18, 2025
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CREDIT CARD DEFAULTS
Techlife News

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CREDIT CARD DEFAULTS

Credit card defaults are on the rise for Americans, reaching the highest level in 14 years. U.S. credit card defaults jumped to a record $46 billion from January through September 2024, according to the Financial Times, citing data analyzed by BankRegData.

time-read
4 mins  |
January 18, 2025