In a recent lawsuit against OpenAI, Elon Musk made strong statements in court, harshly criticizing OpenAI's safety failures. He claimed that his company xAI performs better in AI safety and said, "No one has committed suicide because of Grok, but obviously someone has committed suicide because of ChatGPT." This statement caused considerable stir in the courtroom.

This trial centered around an open letter published in March 2023, which Musk was one of the signatories. The letter called on major AI labs to pause the development of systems more powerful than OpenAI's GPT-4 for at least six months. The letter received support from over 1,100 AI experts who were concerned that the rapid development of AI without sufficient planning and management could get out of control.

Musk's remarks were not only a direct attack on OpenAI, but also reflected his deep concern about AI safety. He pointed out that OpenAI had transformed from an initial non-profit research organization into a profit-driven company, which may lead it to prioritize speed and revenue in decision-making, neglecting the importance of safety.

However, since Musk signed the open letter, xAI and its product Grok have also faced significant safety controversies. In January this year, a large number of explicit images generated by Grok appeared on the social platform X (formerly Twitter), which attracted the attention of regulators. The office of the California Attorney General has launched an investigation, and the EU has also initiated an independent privacy investigation.

In court, Musk emphasized that his reason for signing the open letter was to maintain caution in AI development, not because he wanted to compete with OpenAI. He also stated that general artificial intelligence (AGI) carries risks and admitted that his previous statement about donating "100 million dollars" to OpenAI was inaccurate, and the actual donation was approximately 44.8 million dollars.

Recalling the original purpose of OpenAI's establishment, Musk said that he pushed to create the organization because he was worried about Google forming a monopoly in the AI field. His multiple conversations with Google co-founder Larry Page surprised him, as Page seemed not to take AI safety seriously.

This trial not only revealed the competitive relationship between Musk and OpenAI, but also provided the public with a new perspective on AI safety issues.

Key Points:

🚀 Musk strongly criticized OpenAI in court, claiming that ChatGPT may cause users to commit suicide.

🛡️ He believes his company xAI does a better job in AI safety, emphasizing that safety should be prioritized over profit.

📜 In addition, xAI and its product Grok have also faced safety controversies, triggering investigations by multiple regulatory authorities.