Influence Struggle Over AI: OpenAI Accuses Elon Musk Of Harassment

The battle over AI between Elon Musk and OpenAI is taking a new turn. Explosive internal emails revealed by OpenAI show an attempt at a power grab led by the billionaire as early as 2017. At the heart of this conflict: the future of artificial intelligence and the governance model that accompanies it.

Elon Musk accused of wanting to control OpenAI’s AI since 2017

OpenAI is no longer mincing its words. According to the revelations from the AI company, Elon Musk allegedly did everything to control the AI developed by the organization he co-founded.

In a recent counterclaim, Musk is even facing several accusations:

• harassment;
• attempted hostile takeover;
• attempt at a fictitious OPA worth 97 billion dollars.

Internal emails indeed show that Musk was proposing as early as 2017 a structure giving him “initial control” of the board of directors, in exchange for investments. He even demanded to:

• become CEO;
• incorporate a shell company, Open Artificial Intelligence Technologies, to move the intellectual property of OpenAI.

Faced with this refusal, Musk allegedly cut funding and tried to integrate OpenAI into Tesla, citing the urgency of countering Google. This is one of the company’s main rivals in the AI market.

The OpenAI team allegedly rejected this idea, fearing an “AI dictatorship.” Ultimately, Musk left the organization in 2018 before returning to the fray in 2024 with a lawsuit.

An influence war will soon arise!

Behind this quarrel lies a struggle for the dominant AI model. Today, OpenAI is indeed moving towards a hybrid status of a capped for-profit company. Now the founder of xAI, Musk accuses it of betraying its original mission.

To defend itself, OpenAI publishes a new series of messages highlighting that Musk himself pushed for this economic transition. “Elon’s emails clearly demonstrate this”, asserts the startup. With a valuation of 300 billion dollars, OpenAI intends to build the best-equipped nonprofit association the world has ever known.

The battle over AI is just beginning. The trial will take place in the spring of 2026.

The rivalry between Musk and OpenAI goes beyond mere internal disputes. It illustrates the growing tension between AI innovation and economic control. A crucial dynamic to monitor in the tech universe!