Tech mogul Elon Musk has publicly expressed his disappointment with OpenAI’s latest chatbot, ChatGPT-4.o, reigniting the ongoing rivalry between the two entities. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI but left in 2018, responded to a post on X (formerly Twitter) about the chatbot with a succinct “demo made me cringe.”
This criticism comes as no surprise, given Musk’s history with OpenAI and his own ventures in the AI field.
He currently leads XAI, a company that offers the Grok AI chatbot for X Premium users. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has previously stated that Musk predicted the company’s failure, adding another layer of tension to the relationship.
Musk’s disapproval of ChatGPT-4.0 was further emphasized when he responded to a post suggesting the chatbot could potentially distort reality. His comment has sparked a debate about the potential dangers of increasingly sophisticated AI technology.
The rivalry between Musk and OpenAI has also manifested in legal disputes. Musk has accused OpenAI of violating their original agreement and has even threatened to sue the company and change its name to ClosedAI.
Elon Musk & OpenAI History
From co-founding OpenAI in 2015 with a shared vision of ethical AI development, to Musk’s eventual departure and subsequent criticism of the organization’s direction, their paths have diverged significantly.
- 2015: Elon Musk co-founds OpenAI as a non-profit research organization focused on developing artificial intelligence (AI) safely and ethically.
- 2018: Musk steps down from OpenAI’s board, citing potential conflicts of interest with his work at Tesla, which was also venturing into AI research.
- 2019: OpenAI transitions into a for-profit entity, sparking criticism from Musk who believed the move contradicted the organization’s original mission.
- 2020: Musk publicly expresses concerns about OpenAI’s safety practices and the potential dangers of unchecked AI development.
- 2023: Musk announces the formation of his own AI company, xAI, intensifying the rivalry with OpenAI.
- 2024: Musk criticizes OpenAI’s latest chatbot, ChatGPT-4.0, and threatens legal action, accusing the organization of violating their original agreement.
