Elon Musk has intensified his legal battle against OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. In a new lawsuit filed on November 14, he has expanded his claims to include antitrust allegations and added Microsoft and venture capitalist Reid Hoffman as defendants.
The amended complaint, filed in a Northern California federal court, also includes Musk’s AI startup xAI and former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis as plaintiffs. Zilis, now an executive at Musk’s Neuralink, had expressed concerns about OpenAI’s direction during her time on the board.
The lawsuit alleges that OpenAI, in partnership with Microsoft, has deviated from its original non-profit mission to prioritize commercial interests. Musk argues that this has led to anti-competitive behavior, including restricting funding for rival AI companies and sharing sensitive information. The addition of Hoffman and Microsoft to the lawsuit stems from their dual involvement in both companies, which Musk claims violates antitrust laws.
Elon Musk’s lawsuit against ChatGPT under US’ racketeering laws
Tesla CEO Elon Musk sued OpenAI in March in a state court in San Francisco, before withdrawing the suit later without explanation. Seven weeks later, he filed a new suit in federal court, arguing that OpenAI violated federal racketeering laws by conspiring to defraud him.
Like the original suit, the federal complaint claimed that OpenAI and two of its founders, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, breached the company’s founding contract by putting commercial interests ahead of the public good.
The lawsuit claimed that after joining with “Mr. Musk to create OpenAI in 2015 and pledging to carefully develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity, Mr. Altman and Mr. Brockman abandoned this mission by entering its multibillion-dollar partnership with Microsoft.” Musk moved away from OpenAI in the year 2018, before this partnership was created.
While OpenAI and Hoffman have yet to respond, Microsoft has declined to comment. This latest legal move further deepens the rift between Musk and OpenAI, highlighting the growing tensions in the AI industry.