Elon Musk, the visionary and chief funder of early OpenAI, used his drive and money to pave the way for an organization that promised to make artificial intelligence serve humanity. Today, however, the same man is among the company's harshest critics. What went wrong?
Elon Musk, the man who brought you electric cars, reusable rockets, and the vision of life on Mars, has another accomplishment on his list: He was the brainchild and lead investor in the founding of OpenAI. But while the project began with the promise of creating artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity, that promise is now tarnished by the dust of business battles, legal disputes and broken friendships. How did Musk go from the "godfather of UI" to its biggest critic?
The Birth of OpenAI: A Project to Save the World
In 2015, in a conversation with Sam Altman, Musk asked a question that made many uncomfortable: "Can we stop humanity from developing artificial intelligence?" When he realized the answer was no, he decided it was better to have the UI developed by someone with good intentions - and so OpenAI was born.
Musk invested between $50 million and $100 million in the project, making him the organization's main financier. His vision? An organization that will operate as a non-profit research institution committed to the public good, rather than a weapon of technology corporations like Google.
Microsoft enters the game: Partnership or betrayal?
By 2016, OpenAI needed more computing power to compete with DeepMind, Google's AI division. Microsoft offered $60 million worth of cloud support for just $10 million. But here it started to get complicated.
Musk was skeptical: "I don't want us to be seen as Microsoft's marketing pioneers," he wrote in one of the leaked emails. Altman appeased him with a deal with no obligation to promote. Microsoft then became the main partner in 2019 OpenAI, which drove Musk away from the organization he co-founded.
3. Clash of egos: Musk vs. Altman
The internal tensions were not only about money or partnerships, but also about personal ambitions. In 2018, Musk wanted to take more control of OpenAI because he felt the organization was not progressing fast enough compared to DeepMind. Altman and the remaining co-founders rejected his offer, causing Musk to leave the board.
It was a watershed moment for the organization: Without Musk's funding, OpenAI switched from a non-profit model to a "limited profit" model in 2019 to attract investors like Microsoft.
4. Elon Musk: From godfather to critic
Musk does not hide his disappointment today. He criticizes OpenAI for "leaving its roots" and becoming a "de facto subsidiary of Microsoft". He also started a competing company xAI, which has the same goal as OpenAI years ago – to make UI serve humanity.
But his anger is more than just a professional dispute. Musk was confident that OpenAI would stay true to its mission, not become a tool for capital accumulation. His legal battle against OpenAI and Microsoft is the latest attempt to correct history.
Conclusion: A vision run over by capitalism
Elon Musk was a key force in the creation of OpenAI. With his vision and money, he laid the foundation for an organization that promised to use UI for the benefit of humanity. But the irony is inescapable: the project he helped create now represents the very thing he sought to prevent—the monopolization of technology in the hands of giants.
Musk may never get control back OpenAI, but his story reminds us how quickly noble goals can succumb to the pressure of capital.
