San Fransisco, California, Tuesday, March 12, 2024- OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research lab co-founded by Elon Musk, released on March 6 a selection of emails claimed by OpenAI as exchanged between Musk and other company representatives during his time at OpenAI (2015–2018). 1
The emails, published on March 5, reveal Musk’s views on the company’s early direction and strategy.1
The published emails reportedly show Musk advocating for OpenAI to pursue a for-profit model, even suggesting the company “attach to Tesla as its cash cow” in a 2018 email. This aligns with OpenAI’s claim that Musk supported a financially sustainable path for the company.
The release comes amid an ongoing lawsuit between Musk and OpenAI. Musk contends that the company has strayed from its original non-profit mission to serve as a check on the potential risks of artificial intelligence. OpenAI argues it has remained true to its core principles while adapting its structure to secure funding for its ambitious research goals.
However, the selection of emails may not represent the full picture of Musk’s past interactions with OpenAI. It’s important to note that OpenAI is the entity releasing these specific communications as part of its legal defense.
The publication of these emails is likely to further fuel the ongoing debate surrounding OpenAI’s mission and governance. It also sheds light on the complex relationship between Musk and the organization he co-founded.
- Musk Mails: https://openai.com/blog/openai-elon-musk[↩][↩]
