It’s a rare moment, but Elon Musk and Sam Altman have actually agreed on something: The two tech CEOs have decided that they both would like to fast track the trial over OpenAI’s shift to becoming a for-profit venture.
Musk, who co-founded OpenAI with Altman, is suing, arguing that the conversion will create a monopoly to stamp out competitors.
He is perhaps particularly referring to his own AI project, xAI. Musk has also made a bid to buy OpenAI, which was rejected with a polite “no thank you” from Altman.
What’s Been Agreed?
According to Reuters, the rival billionaires have decided that they both want the case over and done with as soon as possible.
They have jointly proposed a trial in December. The filing in US District Court for the Northern District of California adds that they have also agreed to delay a decision on whether the case will be decided by a jury or just by a judge.
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“We welcome the court’s March 4 decision rejecting Elon Musk’s latest attempt to slow down OpenAI for his personal benefit,” OpenAI said in a blog post.
What Does the Case Hinge Upon?
Musk filed the lawsuit last year. Initially, his claim was that Altman and co had “manipulated him” to “Shakespearean proportions” into co-founding the AI company under the guise of it being a for-profit enterprise focused on developing humanity.
He later added the gripe that OpenAI was behaving in an anticompetitive way.
However, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, threw out some of Musk’s claims, damning them as being a “stretch,” and causing “irreparable harm.” He also argued that OpenAI should not be forced to stop its bid to become a for-profit business.
He did not throw them out entirely, so a court standoff is now likely.
Why Does Altman Want the Change?
The AI pioneer says that the change of structure is necessary to ensure that his company can keep innovating. This is because, he argues, developing AI technology is pricey.
Reuters reports that OpenAI’s last fundraising round of $6.6 billion, and a new round of up to $40 billion under discussion with SoftBank Group are conditioned on its change of structure.
The company also has lofty goals, focused on creating Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – a theoretical type of AI that can match or surpass human intelligence.
As the launches come thick and fast from China – Alibaba and Baidu unveiled new tools in the last week alone – there is a lot at stake for American AI ventures. OpenAI is arguing that this change of structure is what will give it the best chance of thriving in the face of fierce competition.
