Elon Musk, the renowned entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has revealed that he declined shares in OpenAI, a company he co-founded. Musk cited ethical concerns as the reason behind his decision, stating that accepting the shares “seemed unethical/illegal.” This revelation comes as OpenAI recently reached a valuation of $80 billion and allowed its staff to cash out their shares.
Musk was one of the co-chairs of OpenAI when it was established in December 2015, alongside Sam Altman. He also pledged a generous $1 billion to the project. OpenAI was initially created as a nonprofit organization with a mission to develop artificial intelligence in a way that would benefit humanity as a whole. However, Musk expressed uncertainty about the company’s legal structure when questioned about his founding donation.
The exact details of when Musk was offered the shares, the number of shares, and the identity of the offeror remain undisclosed. Nevertheless, Musk’s decision to decline the shares highlights his ongoing criticism of OpenAI. In 2018, he resigned from the company’s board to avoid potential conflicts with Tesla’s AI-focused endeavors. Musk later revealed that his departure was due to disagreements with the OpenAI team.
Musk has been vocal about his concerns regarding OpenAI’s partnership with tech giant Microsoft, which he believes has shifted the company’s focus towards maximizing profit rather than prioritizing the betterment of humanity. Last year, Musk launched his own AI company and introduced a chatbot that directly competes with OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT.
OpenAI’s recent valuation of $80 billion signifies its significant growth and success in the AI industry. However, Musk’s decision to decline shares raises questions about the ethical implications surrounding the company’s operations and its alignment with his own vision for AI development.
As of now, representatives from OpenAI have not responded to requests for comment on Musk’s statements. It remains to be seen how this revelation will impact the public perception of OpenAI and its future endeavors. Nevertheless, Musk’s decision to distance himself from the company he co-founded underscores his commitment to ethical considerations in the realm of artificial intelligence.