Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and founder of the AI company xAI, is spearheading a consortium of investors offering to acquire control of OpenAI for a staggering $97.4 billion. The proposal, submitted on Monday by Musk's attorney, Marc Toberoff, aims to "slow down a competitor." Despite the substantial offer, OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman has dismissed the bid, expressing his disinterest via a post on the social media platform X.
Altman's response to Musk's proposal was nonchalant, as he simply stated, "Not particularly," indicating that he does not view the bid with seriousness. This stance was made clear following the public disclosure of the offer on Tuesday. Altman had previously declined a similar bid from Musk, reinforcing his position regarding OpenAI's direction under his leadership.
The investor group, led by Musk, aims to secure control of OpenAI, which is known for its advanced AI technologies and contributions to the field. This move aligns with Musk's ongoing interests in artificial intelligence through his company xAI, which is responsible for developing the chatbot Grok. The acquisition attempt suggests a strategic maneuver to mitigate competition in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Marc Toberoff, representing Musk's interests, articulated the intentions behind the bid, emphasizing a return to OpenAI's foundational values.
"It's time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was." – Marc Toberoff
Despite the grand financial gesture, CNBC has reached out to Toberoff, Tesla, and X for further commentary on the unfolding situation. Meanwhile, discussions around this potential acquisition made waves at the AI Action Summit in Paris, where industry leaders and experts gathered to deliberate on the future of artificial intelligence.