OpenAI should explain to the public

“Mus is a jerk.” “OpenAI should explain to the public why they ousted Sam Altman. If it’s about AI safety, it will impact the entire world.”

The longstanding rivalry between Elon Musk and Sam Altman in the tech world is no news. Over the past six months, from the public spectacle of the “coup” at OpenAI to personally founding xAI, Musk has consistently maintained his “AI doomsday” vision in public forums.

Established in July, xAI, Musk’s AI startup, has been closely watched by the tech community. People are eager to see how xAI will distinguish itself from OpenAI and how Musk plans to address the safety issues associated with artificial intelligence in the realms of both commercialization and ethics.

xAI in the Past Six Months: Integration with X Acceleration, Embracing Anthropic’s Unique Structure

According to The Information’s latest report, xAI, as of late November, has filed documents with the state of Nevada, indicating its registration as a for-profit benefit corporation. The overall goal of xAI is to “have a substantial positive impact on society and the environment.”

A “benefit corporation” is a certification label for a third-party non-profit organization. These companies not only focus on shareholder interests but also consider other stakeholders, including employees, communities, or the environment. They are also required to adhere to standards of accountability and transparency in ensuring the consistency of their mission.

In the United States, benefit corporations have gained popularity as a new form of business company in recent years, with several states legislating for this type of company.

Anthropic, a well-known rival to OpenAI, is also a benefit corporation. Anthropic’s goal is to “build reliable, interpretable, and controllable AI systems.”

xAI’s decision to follow a path similar to Anthropic is closely tied to Musk’s vision for artificial intelligence, as he has been a proponent of the “AI doomsday” theory.

In addition to its status as a “benefit corporation,” xAI is making efforts in governance structure to avoid the risks associated with concentrated power. The company plans to sell equity to raise a total of $1 billion, according to documents submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in early December.

Apart from raising funds, xAI is also integrating rapidly into the X platform. Musk has praised xAI’s first product, a chatbot named Grok, stating that “Grok is, in many important ways, currently the best AI chatbot.” Grok was announced to be available to X Premium+ users on December 8 for $16 per month.

Musk’s AI Vision: For Safety, For All Humankind

“How can we make artificial intelligence safe?” This has been a question Elon Musk has been pondering. Prior to expressing dissatisfaction with Altman and OpenAI, Musk has clashed with the “AI optimists” on multiple occasions. In 2017, Musk forwarded an article titled “Mark Zuckerberg Hits Elon Musk Over His ‘Irresponsible’ View of AI,” stating, “I’ve talked to Mark about this. His understanding of the subject is limited.”

In public appearances, Musk has consistently held a cautious stance towards AI, emphasizing the danger and the need for regulation. Even before the falling out with Altman and OpenAI, Musk has engaged in debates with those who held an optimistic view of AI.

In the eyes of outsiders, Tesla is an automaker, but for Musk, the value of Tesla goes beyond traditional automotive industry metrics. He has stated, “Tesla should be thought of as roughly a dozen technology startups, many of which have little to no correlation with traditional automotive companies.”

Examining Musk’s AI investments, from personal investments in DeepMind to participating in the crowdfunding of OpenAI, and later founding his brain-machine interface company, not to mention Tesla’s comprehensive AI hardware and software initiatives, it’s evident that Musk is unwilling to play a secondary role to Altman.

In an interesting side note, Musk’s emotional state seems to be reflected in a lighthearted comment. When Time magazine named Taylor Swift the “Person of the Year” for 2023, Musk congratulated her on X platform and jokingly said, “There’s a risk of losing popularity after receiving this award. That’s my experience.” In 2023, Time named its first-ever “CEO of the Year,” and the recipient was Sam Altman.

In summary, Musk’s xAI is not just a venture into AI but a personal quest to ensure the safety of artificial intelligence, challenging the dominance of Altman’s OpenAI and aiming to carve a distinct path in the evolving landscape of AI development.