Elon Musk slams OpenAI again: ‘Built on a lie. They stole a charity!’

Tech mogul Elon Musk has once again criticized OpenAI, labeling the organization as "built on a lie." On Saturday, Musk shared a retweet from Helen Toner, a former board member of OpenAI, who expressed her mixed feelings about the company's direction. Toner noted that while some initiatives, like CoT monitoring and the development of system cards, are commendable, the dishonesty and intimidation tactics evident in their policy work are concerning. Adding his own thoughts, Musk remarked, "OpenAI is built on a lie," prompting a flurry of reactions on X. One user raised a critical question, asking, "Wasn’t it supposed to be a non-profit?" Musk's response was sharp, accusing the organization of having "stolen a charity" for its own financial benefit. This is not the first time Musk has voiced his apprehensions regarding AI governance and the transparency of organizations like OpenAI. Last month, he criticized OpenAI amid reports of a potential shift from a non-profit to a for-profit structure, deeming such a transition "illegal." In response to claims that OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, might restructure as a for-profit benefit corporation, Musk asserted, "You can’t just convert a non-profit into a for-profit. That is illegal." According to a Bloomberg report, the proposed changes could potentially grant OpenAI CEO Sam Altman a seven percent stake in the company as it moves towards a profit-oriented model. Originally founded in 2015 as a non-profit dedicated to AI research, OpenAI established OpenAI LP in 2019, a for-profit subsidiary that enabled the company to secure investments from Microsoft for its ongoing projects.