Elon Musk Co-Founded OpenAI, But Now He Says ChatGPT Parent 'Not What I Intended At All'

OpenAI and its association with Microsoft Corp. MSFT has perked up interest in artificial intelligence and companies that may have even the remotest ties with the technology.

At least one technocrat isn’t impressed with what has transpired.

What Happened: Tesla CEO Elon Musk lamented how ChatGPT parent OpenAI, a company he co-founded in December 2015, has evolved. He was responding to a tweet by substack journalist and Grit Capital CEO Genevieve Roch-Dector, who noted that Musk views AI as “one of the biggest risks” to civilization and needs to be regulated.

“He co-founded AI,” she pointed out.

Replying to her, Musk said OpenAI was created as an open-source, non-profit company to serve as a counterweight to Alphabet, Inc.’s GOOGL GOOG Google. It has, however, become a closed-source, maximum-profit company, effectively controlled by Microsoft, he added.

“Not what I intended at all,” Musk said.

OpenAI was created as an open source (which is why I named it "Open" AI), non-profit company to serve as a counterweight to Google, but now it has become a closed source, maximum-profit company effectively controlled by Microsoft.

Not what I intended at all.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 17, 2023

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Why It’s Important: ChatGPT, the AI chatbot unveiled by OpenAI in November, has had a polarizing effect. It is lauded for its neural network’s ability to think like a human. Although detractors point to ChatGPT being used for phishing and malware attacks by hackers and posing a threat to privacy.

Musk’s comments about OpenAI transforming into a for-profit company may not be farfetched, as OpenAI said in a 2019 post on its website that it has created OpenAI LP, a new “capped profit” company that would allow accelerated investments in computing and talent.

Microsoft has invested $10 billion in OpenAI for integrating the latter’s technology into its Bing search engine and cloud services.

Read next: Elon Musk Calls For 'TruthGPT' As Microsoft, Google Chatbots Spark Debate On Future Of AI

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