The Real Losers of the Musk v. Altman Trial

"A judgement could be delivered as soon as next week, ending a decade-long battle between two of the technology industry's most influential entrepreneurs. But regardless of the outcome, there is a wide set of losers in this case. Based on ample amounts of evidence, it appears that the people worst off are the employees, policy makers, and members of the public who believed in the mission of a nonprofit research lab-and supported OpenAI because of it."

"What seemed to take precedent for Musk and OpenAI's other cofounders at almost every turn was building the world's leading AI lab-even if that meant creating a multibillion dollar for-profit company in the process. "It's hard to see how the public interest is being protected by either of these parties, and that is really what is ultimately at stake in a case about a nonprofit," says Jill Horwitz, a Northwestern University law professor with expertise in nonprofits and innovation, who listened to the closing arguments."

"OpenAI's stated mission is to ensure artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits humanity, but humanity is not a party in this case. In practice, OpenAI has spent the last decade attempting to rival multitrillion dollar companies like Google, and build AGI first. Additionally, Musk and Altman have fought tooth and nail to be the ones who control OpenAI."

""Musk and Altman are basically locked in a race to be the first to build superintelligence, and they both rightly fear what the other will do if they win. The rest of us should fear them both," says Daniel Kokotajlo, a former OpenAI researcher who joined in 2022 and has raised concerns"

Closing arguments were delivered in the Musk v. Altman trial, with a judgment potentially coming next week and ending a decade-long dispute. The case centers on whether Elon Musk and Sam Altman best protect OpenAI’s nonprofit mission. Regardless of the verdict, employees, policy makers, and the public who supported OpenAI for its nonprofit research purpose may be harmed. The mission aims to ensure AGI benefits humanity, but humanity is not a party in the litigation. OpenAI’s decade of efforts has focused on competing with major technology companies and building AGI first, while Musk and Altman have fought to control OpenAI. Observers warn that both sides’ race for superintelligence creates broad risk.

Read at WIRED