Open AI, the nonprofit company working for ChatGPT-linked artificial intelligence, recently caught the attention of Elon Musk who through his investors offered Sam Altman, who runs it, $97.4 billion to buy it. According to a statement reported by Elon Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, the billionaire said, “It’s time for OpenAI to go back to being open source and focused on security for the sake that it once was.” For his part, Altman immediately rejected the offer with a post on X, writing, “No thanks, but we will buy X for $9.74 billion if you want.” Altman’s defiant response offering Musk a significantly lower figure could set up an AI “war between titans” of sorts.
The company had been co-founded by Sam Altman and Elon Musk in 2015 as a non-profit. In 2019, Musk left the company and Altman took over as CEO. OpenAI then created a for-profit subsidiary that served as a vehicle to raise funds from Microsoft and other investors.
Now Musk’s move would be part of his plan to control AI, but at the same time complicate Altman’s plans on converting Open AI into a for-profit company. For this project, Altman would be ready to invest up to $500 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure through a joint venture called Stargate. Altman appeared at the White House last month to announce the plan in which several leaders in the tech industry commit to the development of AI in the United States.
Musk has currently filed a series of complaints accusing OpenAI of betraying its original mission of being a nonprofit company by partnering with Microsoft, its largest investor, with the goal of dominating AI development.
OpenAI has called Musk’s legal claims unfounded and overreaching. Last December, the company released documents showing how Musk previously had advocated turning OpenAI into a for-profit, later abandoning the goal because he could not take control of it. However, attorney Toberoff said Musk’s investor group is prepared to match or even exceed, any bid that exceeds its own.
