Elon Musk Files Injunction Against OpenAI, Sam Altman Says X-Owner Won't Abuse Government Power

OpenAI chief Sam Altman said, "I may turn out to be wrong, but I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing."

Elon Musk, the owner of X, and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has recently filed a preliminary injunction to prevent OpenAI from transitioning to a for-profit model. Musk has accused the organisation and its affiliates, including Microsoft, of participating in anticompetitive practices. Now, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has showed faith in the tech titan by saying that Musk would not use his proximity to Donald Trump to harm business rivals.

Elon Musk's legal team argues that OpenAI's move away from its original nonprofit mission negatively impacts competitors, including Musk's AI venture, xAI. The claims include allegations that OpenAI is discouraging investors from supporting competitors like xAI, improperly sharing proprietary information with Microsoft, engaging in self-serving practices, and facing governance challenges that contradict its foundational values.

Now that Musk is a part of the US government, he might have a lot of indirect power to see things through to their end, which is what makes some people a bit sceptical of how things will turn out for their business.

Is Sam Altman Worried About Elon Musk's Position?

Altman responded to concerns regarding Musk's recently announced position leading a new Department of Government Efficiency under the upcoming Trump administration, and whether he might leverage the role to benefit his own businesses. He said, "I may turn out to be wrong, but I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing. It would be profoundly un-American to use political power to hurt your competitors and advantage your own businesses."

He added, even if there are "lots of things not to like about him... it would go so deeply against the values I believe he holds very dear to himself that I'm not that worried about it."

Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI who eventually parted ways with the organization, is now pursuing legal action against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging a deviation from the company’s initial nonprofit objectives. In the meantime, he has founded xAI, a venture reportedly valued at $50 billion, as noted by the Wall Street Journal, placing it among the most valuable startups globally. With xAI potentially set to compete directly with OpenAI, these developments have significantly heightened the competitive landscape.