‘Godfather of AI’ Supports Musk’s Lawsuit Against OpenAI’s For-Profit Shift

The "Godfather of AI," Geoffrey Hinton, is backing Elon Musk’s legal fight against OpenAI’s decision to switch to a for-profit structure. Hinton, a prominent figure in artificial intelligence, has raised concerns over this transition, which goes against the organization’s original mission.

OpenAI recently announced its plans to become a for-profit entity, securing billions in funding with the promise to complete the transition within two years. However, Musk has filed a lawsuit and requested a temporary injunction to prevent any progress on the transition until the court reaches a final decision.

Elon Musk is one of the co-founders of OpenAI, having made significant financial contributions to help the organization start. OpenAI was initially established with the aim of safely developing artificial intelligence, but it has faced criticism for drifting away from these foundational goals.

In a statement published by a youth-led organization called Encode, Hinton expressed his apprehensions, saying: "OpenAI was founded as a non-profit with a strong emphasis on safety and made several promises related to safety in its charter. It received various tax and other advantages due to its non-profit status. Allowing it to abandon these commitments when they become inconvenient sends a very negative message to other players in this field."

Encode is also supporting Musk’s lawsuit, emphasizing that OpenAI should respect the founding principles under which it was created. Nathan Calvin, the organization’s Vice President of State Affairs and General Counsel, remarked: "The public has a deep interest in ensuring that transformative artificial intelligence is managed by an organization that is legally obligated to prioritize safety over profits. OpenAI was established as a non-profit to protect that commitment, and the public interest necessitates that they uphold their promises."

Leadership Concerns at OpenAI

Concerns regarding OpenAI’s leadership began to surface early on, particularly concerning CEO Sam Altman. Internal documents and emails from late 2017, around the time Musk left the organization, reveal that co-founders Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman were worried about Altman’s decision-making and his vision for the company.

During this time, Sutskever and Brockman expressed hesitation about Altman’s judgment, questioning his priorities and motivations. They acknowledged that while Altman had valuable insights, they struggled to fully trust his decisions concerning the company’s future.

Interestingly, Sutskever would later lead a boardroom coup to remove Altman in late 2023. Hinton expressed pride in Sutskever for making this decision, highlighting the shift OpenAI had taken under Altman’s leadership away from its original safety-first objectives.

"OpenAI was established with a strong focus on safety," Hinton stated. "Its primary goal was to develop artificial general intelligence in a safe manner. Over time, it became apparent that Sam Altman prioritized profits over safety, which I find unfortunate."

Exit of Talent Over Safety Issues

OpenAI's ongoing reputation for prioritizing profits over safety has resulted in the departure of many top-level professionals. Several key figures, including Ilya Sutskever, Jan Leiki, Mira Murati, Jeffrey Wu, and Gretchen Kreuger, have left the company, often expressing their discontent with OpenAI’s approach to AI safety.

Some of these former employees have issued strong criticisms of OpenAI's current strategies, while others have sounded alarms about the challenges ahead in AI development. OpenAI faces growing criticism both from within and outside, and whether Musk’s lawsuit will compel the organization to adhere to its founding principles remains to be seen.

AI, lawsuit, OpenAI