Some people just can’t get along.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Sam Altman co-founded OpenAI as a non-profit in 2015. The mission was a simple one: to advance artificial intelligence. Since departing the organization six years ago, Musk has continued to create legal obstacles for OpenAI and its CEO – citing concerns over direction, leadership and profitability. Both leaders have been acrimonious in interviews. Sam Altman has called Musk “A bully”, while Musk refers to Altman as “Swindly Sam”, according to The Financial Times. What’s driving the competitive feud between xAI and ChatGPT – and causing these former co-founders to fight?
Origins of the Feud between Musk and Altman
Initially, Musk and Altman shared a unified vision for OpenAI as a non-profit organization dedicated to AI research for the greater good. Musk’s departure from OpenAI’s board in 2018 marked the beginning of their rift. According to reports and court documents, Musk expressed concerns that OpenAI was deviating from its original mission – criticizing its transition to a for-profit model and its collaboration with major corporations like Microsoft. “Everything we’re doing, I believe Elon would be happy about if he were in control of OpenAI,” Altman tells Business Insider.
In 2023, Musk founded xAI, a direct competitor for ChatGPT. Will Musk leverage his government role and relationships to find favorable circumstances for xAI, and it’s chatbot/API Grok-2? Keeping US-led AI efforts in a global leadership role is part of an America-first agenda. That initiative puts ChatGPT at the forefront of a geopolitical conversation. How will it evolve?
Given Musk’s role in the newly-formed DOGE organization, and his close relationship with president-elect Donald Trump, Musk is in a position of influence – and potential conflicts of interest – around AI initiatives. LinkedIn co-founder and Microsoft board member Reid Hoffman wrote in The Financial Times, “With direct ownership in the fledgling AI start-up xAI, Elon Musk, who is advising Trump in many domains, has a serious conflict of interest in terms of setting federal AI policies for all US companies.” Hoffman, a former OpenAI board member, continued, “Using his position to favor xAI in any way, such as awarding it government contracts, encouraging federal agencies to unfairly target AI companies, or imposing new regulations that limit exports will come at the expense of US technological, economic and cultural security and competitiveness.”
Meanwhile, Musk has said of Altman, “I don’t trust him.” In multiple lawsuits, the Tesla CEO accused Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman of deceiving him regarding OpenAI’s direction, alleging that they strayed from the non-profit mission to pursue commercial interests. Altman clapped back with a string of emails from Musk, showcasing how the world’s wealthiest man held enthusiastic support of the for-profit initiative for the company. Is this feud really an issue of control, competition, or a caustic relationship? The answer, it appears, is: “yes”.
Why ChatGPT and Not Other LLMs, Like Google’s Mariner?
Musk’s criticisms have predominantly targeted OpenAI and ChatGPT, despite the existence of other AI models like Google’s Mariner, Jasper (formerly called Jarvis) and Microsoft’s CoPilot (which is powered by GPT-4). The real issue here is the founder’s perspective – a personal stake in the direction and outcomes of a business. As a co-founder of OpenAI, Musk appears to care more about the company he started (as a non-profit in 2015) versus other AI entities with which he has no direct affiliation. As a side note, ChatGPT is leading the market among LLMs according to Yahoo!Finance. In the fight for market dominance, ChatGPT is the one to beat.
- Public Influence and Impact: ChatGPT has garnered significant public attention and usage. Attacking the market leader is beneficial in multiple ways, especially for the competitive platform of xAI. Musk is not just the world’s wealthiest individual – he is also one of the most ubiquitous in the media.
- Strategic Rivalry: By focusing on ChatGPT, Musk can directly challenge a competitor in the AI space, in the media and in the markets. Musk’s xAI just raised $6 billion in Series C Fundraising, indicating significant support for xAI. (Note that “significant” is not the same as “enough”).
- Existential Risk Concerns: Musk has long warned about the potential dangers of AI, emphasizing the need for responsible development. Altman tells Bari Weiss at The Free Press, “It would be profoundly un-American to use political power to the degree that Elon has it to hurt your competitors and advantage your own business.” The collateral damage of misuse or abuse can have global implications for LLMs and artificial intelligence.
Conflict comes from competition, and a quest for control. For these powerhouse billionaires at the forefront of AI technology, the issue boils down to a difference of opinion over leadership. Who is best qualified to lead and direct the efforts of OpenAI? Altman maneuvers for growth. Musk sues to stop it. Companies chase investment, profit and revenues, battling in the media and in the courts. That’s how competition works, for Elon Musk and Sam Altman, inside the ultra-competitive battle to create the future of AI.