Home / Business and Economy / Google's 'Specieist' Insult Sparked OpenAI, Musk Claims
Google's 'Specieist' Insult Sparked OpenAI, Musk Claims
29 Apr
Summary
- Musk testified Google's Larry Page called him 'specieist'.
- He claims this insult led to the creation of OpenAI.
- Musk seeks over $150 billion from OpenAI and Microsoft.
Elon Musk's testimony in his lawsuit against OpenAI began Tuesday, with the tech mogul claiming Google co-founder Larry Page's insult of 'specieist' directly led to OpenAI's founding. Musk asserted that this insult, hurled during a 2015 meeting, was the primary reason for establishing OpenAI to prevent AI's misuse.
Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 with Sam Altman, alleges the lab has betrayed its nonprofit mission of benefiting all humanity. He is seeking over $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft. Musk's legal team contends that the pursuit of advanced AI necessitated a for-profit structure, but he felt deceived after a power struggle and his subsequent departure in 2018.
OpenAI's defense counters that Musk is motivated by "sour grapes" after losing a power struggle and that the company has succeeded without him. Musk presented a stark vision of AI's future, referencing "Terminator" for a negative outcome and "Star Trek" for a utopian one, while also discussing his other ventures like Neuralink and SpaceX.
Despite positioning himself as a defender of charitable causes, Musk's own foundation has reportedly failed to meet its legally required asset distribution for four consecutive years. Musk is scheduled to return to the stand for cross-examination.
