- Sam Altman didn’t found OpenAI alone, Elon Musk was by his side
- After wanting to take control of OpenAI, the CEO of Tesla distances himself
- This decision coincides with the merger of OpenAI and Microsoft
If Sam Altman hides behind ChatGPT and OpenAI, he was not alone at the origin of the company dedicated to artificial intelligence in 2015. At his side, there were Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, Jessica Livingston as well as the whimsical Elon Musk. The one we know at the head of Tesla, Twitter, SpaceX or even Neuralink almost had control over OpenAI.
Today, society seeks to make money. But at the beginning of his adventure, it was only a for-profit association. In 2018, co-president with Sam Altman, Elon Musk proposes to completely control the company, in order to go faster and not to be late, according to Semafor. A proposal that does not find its audience, decidedly. Annoyed, Elon Musk is slowly moving away from OpenAI. Coincidence or real consequence, this departure marks the changeover of the company dedicated to artificial intelligence.
Elon Musk almost controlled OpenAI
To meet the (big) financial needs of OpenAI, its founders have all agreed to invest, each, a billion dollars. But following their “disagreement”, and taking out the conflict of interest card with Tesla, Elon Musk distances himself and will only pay 100 million dollars.
A decision that coincides with the merger of the association with the giant Microsoft, and its transformation into a for-profit company. While OpenAI needs funding, the firm founded by Bill Gates is offering to invest $1 billion. Provided you take advantage of certain exclusives. Necessarily. An offer quickly accepted by Sam Altman’s company.
The rest, we know more or less. Indeed, Microsoft and OpenAI maintain a privileged partnership. A relationship that seems to suit both companies. With the worldwide appeal of ChatGPT, and the arrival of GPT-4, Microsoft continues to invest tidy sums in the project. We must accelerate the pace, in order to keep the advantage against competitors who try to rub shoulders with it, even if this is not necessarily the best idea for certain specialists.
I’m sure it will be fine pic.twitter.com/JWsq62Qkru
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 24, 2023
For his part, Elon Musk has taken over Twitter but continues to keep an eye on his old project. On his favorite social network, he particularly likes to talk about it to anyone who wants to hear it. Just today, the businessman points to this partnership. He talks about Microsoft as a “Company with a ruthless monopoly”. Difficult to know if this is only resentment or a real concern on the part of the boss of Tesla.
