Tech moguls Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have found common ground in their opposition to OpenAI’s planned transition from a non-profit to a for-profit entity.
The New York Post reports that the world of AI is witnessing an unprecedented alliance as Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has sided with Elon Musk in his legal battle against OpenAI. The AI startup, known for ChatGPT, is seeking to shed its non-profit status and become a for-profit public benefit corporation. However, this move has drawn the ire of both Zuckerberg and Musk, who are now united in their efforts to prevent what they perceive as a potential abuse of power.
In a letter sent to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Meta warned that allowing OpenAI to proceed with its planned restructuring would have “seismic implications for Silicon Valley.” The tech giant argued that OpenAI should not be permitted to “flout the law by taking and re-appropriating assets it built as a charity and using them for potentially enormous private gains.” This stance aligns with the injunction filed by Musk and former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis earlier this month, which likened the AI firm to a “Frankenstein, stitched together from whichever corporate forms serve the pecuniary interests of Microsoft and Altman at any given moment.”
The alliance between Zuckerberg and Musk is particularly striking given their long-standing rivalry, which has seen them trade barbs in public and private for years. The two tech titans even nearly faced off in a cage match last year. However, their shared concern over OpenAI’s future has brought them together, with Meta’s letter stating, “Although we would also urge your office to take direct action, we believe that Mr. Musk and Ms. Zilis are qualified and well positioned to represent the interests of Californians in this matter.”
OpenAI, led by CEO Sam Altman, has fired back at the injunction request, publishing a trove of emails and texts while arguing that Musk initially supported the idea of for-profit status for the firm. According to OpenAI, Musk only left after losing a bid to secure full control and a majority stake in the company.
The legal battle has also spilled over into the political arena, with Altman claiming that he’s “not that worried” about Musk’s influence over President-elect Trump’s administration. Musk has emerged as a key adviser to Trump and is set to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with eliminating government waste. Altman, however, believes that it would be “profoundly un-American” for Musk to use his political power to hurt competitors and advantage his own businesses.
Read more at the New York Post here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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