Key Takeaways:
- Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI last week.
- In response to the news, Altman resurfaced an old Twitter exchange with Musk.
- Altman’s reply to Musk’s 2019 gratitude, where he wrote “anytime,” appeared to be sarcastic.
After Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI, Altman took to Twitter to resurface an old conversation with Musk from 2019. In the exchange, Altman had previously praised Musk and Tesla, to which Musk responded with a simple “Thanks Sam!”
Altman’s reply to this old conversation, which included the word “anytime” next to a salute emoji, appeared to be a sarcastic gesture in light of the recent legal action taken against him and OpenAI by Musk.
The resurfaced Twitter exchange underscores the complex relationship between Musk and Altman, with both individuals having exchanged jabs and criticisms over the years. OpenAI, co-founded by Altman and Musk along with others, has been accused by Musk of straying from its mission to benefit humanity by partnering with Microsoft, leading to the lawsuit.
In response to Musk’s allegations, OpenAI seemed to dismiss them in a memo sent by one of its executives, Jason Kwon, as reported by Axios and Bloomberg.
According to the Bloomberg report, Jason Kwon, OpenAI’s chief strategy officer, suggested that Elon Musk’s lawsuit against the company “may stem from Elon’s regrets about not being involved with the company today.” Kwon’s statement appeared to challenge the argument put forth by Musk’s lawyers that OpenAI had become a subsidiary of Microsoft.
Kwon emphasized that OpenAI retains control over its research, operations, target audience, and adherence to its mission. He stated, “We decide what to research and build, how to run the company, who our products serve, and how to live out our mission.” Furthermore, Kwon highlighted OpenAI’s direct competition with Microsoft, asserting that the company competes to deliver superior value and products to various audiences.
In a separate memo sent by Sam Altman to OpenAI employees, Altman reportedly referred to Musk as a hero and expressed nostalgia for a time when Musk competed by innovating and building better technology.
Business Insider’s request for comment from OpenAI outside normal working hours did not receive an immediate response.