Shocker! OpenAI president Greg Brockman thought Musk would hit him
What's the story
OpenAI President Greg Brockman has shared details of a tense 2017 meeting with Elon Musk. The encounter revolved around Musk's early attempts to gain control over the artificial intelligence (AI) company. Brockman, a co-founder of OpenAI and one of the defendants in Musk's lawsuit seeking to reverse its transition into a for-profit entity, narrated his experience in an Oakland federal court.
Testimony
Musk threatened to cut off funding for OpenAI
Brockman recounted how when he turned down a proposal giving Musk more control over OpenAI, the latter's demeanor changed drastically. "I actually thought he was going to hit me," said Brockman, referring to Musk. The meeting ended shortly afterward with Musk threatening to cut off funding for OpenAI, which he had been supporting since its inception in 2015.
Departure announcement
Musk said he would stop considering safety in AI development
Brockman also claimed that when Musk announced his departure from OpenAI in February 2018, he told employees he planned to pursue AI development at Tesla without safety considerations. "If the sheep are dictating safety and the wolves are not, then there's no purpose," Brockman claimed Musk allegedly told employees at the time.
Legal battle
Musk suing OpenAI, Altman
Musk has sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, claiming they betrayed the company's original nonprofit mission by switching to a for-profit model. He also alleges that his $38 million founding donation was misused to build a company now worth over $850 billion. However, OpenAI maintains that Musk had left voluntarily after failing to gain majority control and has since become a direct rival through his own AI venture, xAI.
Insights
Brockman defended diary entries that portrayed Musk as opportunist
Under cross-examination by an OpenAI attorney, Brockman defended diary entries which Musk's lawyers had used to portray him as a calculating opportunist. One entry from November 2017 read: "It'd be wrong to steal the non-profit from him... That'd be pretty morally bankrupt." He also testified that OpenAI now spends $50 billion yearly on computing power, compared to just $30 million in 2017, highlighting how expensive the technology has become.