Elon Musk Withdraws Lawsuit Against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, Case Could Be Refiled

By Madz Dizon

Jun 11, 2024 11:12 PM EDT

Elon Musk Withdraws Lawsuit Against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, Case Could Be Refiled — Tesla is objecting to a $5.6 billion legal fee requested by the legal team that voided Tesla CEO Elon Musk's $56 billion pay package.
(Photo : JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images)

On Tuesday (June 11), Elon Musk decided to withdraw his lawsuit against OpenAI, the creator of the online chatbot ChatGPT.

Elon Musk's Lawsuit Accuses OpenAI Founders of Prioritizing Profit Over Public Welfare

The lawsuit, which was filed in February, alleged that the artificial intelligence start-up and its founders, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, violated OpenAI's founding contract by placing commercial interests above the welfare of the public.

In accordance with Mr. Musk's lawsuit, OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft, which is worth billions of dollars, is seen as a departure from their original commitment to responsibly develop AI and ensure its accessibility to the public, The New York Times reported.

According to Mr. Musk, the founding contract emphasized the importance of prioritizing the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI), a machine capable of replicating human brain functions, for the betterment of humanity.

Elon Musk's Lawyers Seek Dismissal of February Lawsuit

Attorneys representing Musk have requested the court to dismiss the lawsuit, which was initially filed in February, without providing any explanation for their decision, as stated in a filing submitted to the San Francisco Superior Court.

A Superior Court judge was ready to hear OpenAI's request to dismiss the lawsuit at a hearing set for Wednesday (June 12), Reuters reported.

Musk established his own AI company, xAI, last year, expressing concerns about OpenAI's focus on the potential risks associated with the technology.

He filed his lawsuit weeks after the OpenAI board unexpectedly fired Mr. Altman, citing concerns about his trustworthiness in fulfilling the company's mission to build A.I. for the good of humanity.

After five days of negotiations with the board, Mr. Altman was reinstated and quickly solidified his control over the company by reclaiming a seat on the board.