Trial Looms as Tensions Escalate: OpenAI Demands Investigation into Musk’s “Misconduct and Anti-competitive Behavior”
OpenAI sent letters to the Attorneys General of California and Delaware on Monday, calling for an investigation into Elon Musk and his affiliates for alleged "misconduct and Anti-competitive Behavior." The dispute originates from OpenAI’s shift from a non-profit to a for-profit model, as well as Musk’s departure to establish xAI followed by a lawsuit accusing the company of straying from its founding mission and engaging in deceptive practices. Jury selection for the case is scheduled to commence on April 27
OpenAI on Monday sent letters to the Attorneys General of California and Delaware, urging an investigation into Elon Musk and his associated parties for "misconduct and Anti-competitive Behavior." A high-profile trial between the two sides is now imminent.
In the letter, OpenAI's Head of Strategy, Jason Kwon, alleged that Musk has been attempting to undermine OpenAI through various "attacks," including "coordinating actions" with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 as a non-profit organization alongside several researchers and executives. He left in 2018 after failing to persuade company executives to merge OpenAI with Tesla. Subsequently, he founded xAI and filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in 2024, alleging that he was "meticulously manipulated" and "deceived" during the company's exploration of a transition to a for-profit entity.
Jury selection for this trial is expected to begin on April 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Kwon stated in the letter that Musk's actions could hinder OpenAI's efforts to advance Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Kwon wrote:
"The purpose of these attacks is to wrest control of the future of AGI from those who are legally obligated to ensure AGI benefits all of humanity, and to transfer it to competitors who lack mission-driven principles and refuse to accept safety responsibility."
OpenAI has previously expressed similar concerns. In January, the company sent a letter to investors and banking partners warning that as Musk's lawsuit against the AI lab entered the trial phase, he was expected to make "deliberately exaggerated, attention-grabbing statements."
In that letter, OpenAI stated that Musk was likely to make statements that "do not align with reality" and that such statements were "part of the harassment tactics he has commonly used in the past."
