Musk warns against ‘Terminator outcome’ in OpenAI testimony
Elon Musk testified Tuesday in his lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, arguing that OpenAI has drifted from its original humanitarian mission. Musk co-founded OpenAI with Altman but now objects to Altman’s shift from a nonprofit model to a for-profit structure, saying financial incentives replaced the company’s intended public purpose.
In court, Musk warned about the dangers of unrestrained AI, saying it “could kill us all” and that the moment AI could surpass human intelligence is nearing. He also emphasized his long-standing concerns about AI and noted that he now competes in the chatbot space through his company xAI (with Grok),which is positioned against ChatGPT.
Musk’s complaint, filed in federal court in California, seeks to undo OpenAI’s move to a for-profit model. OpenAI has responded to Musk by accusing him of harassment through lawsuits and public attacks, and the judge has previously reprimanded Musk for repeatedly posting about the case online.
Musk additionally addressed Neuralink, describing his belief that AI-human “symbiosis” could help humanity, including through AI chips intended to support patients with unmet medical needs.
X owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk took the stand to testify against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday in his lawsuit against the ChatGPT parent company.
Musk, who helped co-found OpenAI with Altman and a group of tech industry leaders, is suing his former business partner and company, arguing that OpenAI has deviated from the humanitarian mission it was initially founded on. Musk has taken issue with the fact that Altman transitioned OpenAI away from its nonprofit model to a for-profit company, arguing that Altman prioritized monetary gain over the original beneficial mission.
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In his Tuesday testimony, Musk warned of the risks of a world in which artificial intelligence is not restrained by humans to work for the good of mankind.
“It could kill us all,” Musk said about AI in his testimony. “We don’t want to have a Terminator outcome. We want to be in a Gene Roddenberry outcome, like Star Trek. Not so much a James Cameron movie like Terminator.”
Musk told the courtroom that he has “extreme concerns” about AI and that the day when the technology could surpass human intelligence “is approaching fast.”
“I’ve had concerns about AI for a very long time,” Musk said.
Though the billionaire helped found OpenAI, he founded a new AI chatbot company of his own in 2023 tied to X called xAI. Musk’s Grok and ChatGPT are now top competitors in the AI chatbot space.
Musk’s lawsuit, filed in the District Court for the Northern District of California, asks the court to roll back OpenAI’s switch to a for-profit business model. The case has been assigned to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, appointed by former President Barack Obama.
“Motivated by jealousy, regret for walking away from OpenAI and a desire to derail a competing AI company, Elon has spent years harassing OpenAI through baseless lawsuits and public attacks,” a current OpenAI-run webpage devoted to the topic of Musk reads.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today because the defendants in this case stole a charity,” Musk’s lawyer, Steve Molo, said in the courtroom on Tuesday.
The judge in the case had reprimanded Musk earlier this week after he repeatedly posted about the case on social media.
WHAT ELON MUSK’S LAWSUIT AGAINST SAM ALTMAN COULD CHANGE ABOUT THE AI INDUSTRY
Musk also addressed Neuralink, which is running clinical trials to implant AI chips in the human brain, in his testimony. The company markets the chip as a way to “restore autonomy to those with unmet medical needs,” according to its website. Musk sees it as a way to use AI to benefit humanity.
“If we can achieve an AI-human symbiosis, we can achieve an AI that is better for humanity,” Musk said.
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