Yet this public spat that has really unfolded—Elon Musk’s war with Sam Altman—catapulted this rivalry, dating back nearly a decade, up a notch. His co-founder Musk has repeatedly expressed his displeasure with the organization’s current trajectory under Altman’s leadership. He argued that it has strayed far from its original stated mission set in 2015, which is to “advance humanity.” This discord has played out in recent months in federal court, on Twitter, and now in a back-and-forth of increasingly public comments.
Among Musk’s complaints are that OpenAI has indeed gotten more profit-driven, especially in its partnership with Microsoft. For one, he contended that OpenAI went for-profit in 2019. Now, it puts profits before the public interest and its founding values. “It has been maximizing profits for Microsoft,” Musk stated, underscoring his dissatisfaction with the company’s new direction.
The competition between Musk and Altman has resulted in legal actions, with Musk dropping a lawsuit against OpenAI last year. Yet OpenAI found its own muscle with a separate lawsuit against Musk filed in April, a move that really twisted the knife. The two co-founders of OpenAI have a formidable past. They recently found themselves at odds in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI.
Musk’s recent actions have targeted Apple. He criticized the tech behemoth for stifling competition. He argued that the App Store has been optimized to promote OpenAI products over Third Party apps. He threatened to take legal action against Apple, saying it has made it “virtually” impossible for competition to get off the ground.
Adding another layer to this rivalry, Musk attempted to acquire OpenAI for $100 billion in February, but the board rejected his bid. This rejection only added to his loathing for Altman and the nonprofit. The tensions are growing and so are Musk’s apparent frustrations. He is deeply challenged by the fact that he is not on the list of the top 40 most influential people in AI.
Musk continues to keep the faith. He highlighted the success of his apps, stating, “X is the #1 news app in the world and Grok is #5 among all apps.” He is very serious about pushing forward his agenda. At the same time, he threads the needle on what it’s like to compete against his old employer.
As the rivalry continues to unfold, the effects on both parties and the broader AI industry remain to be seen. ChatGPT is now the biggest global free app by downloads in the UK, underlining the edge OpenAI now holds on the market. Musk’s extreme pressure to innovate might help the competition lose its wall-to-wall talent at any cost.