The long-standing rivalry between tech titans Elon Musk and Sam Altman has erupted into a fresh public confrontation, with both executives levelling serious allegations about safety failures in each other's artificial intelligence and automotive products.
A Heated Exchange on Social Media
In a dramatic escalation of their feud, Musk and Altman engaged in a pointed exchange on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The clash was triggered by reports linking OpenAI's ChatGPT to several tragic deaths, including a murder-suicide case.
Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla and founder of xAI, issued a stark warning to the public in response to these allegations. "Don't let your loved ones use ChatGPT," Musk declared in his post, directly implicating Altman's flagship AI chatbot in the incidents.
Altman's Defensive Response
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, responded by acknowledging the gravity of the situation while defending his company's approach to user safety. "We feel huge responsibility to protect users with fragile mental states," Altman stated, describing the deaths as "tragic and complicated situations."
However, Altman swiftly turned the criticism back toward Musk's own technological ventures. He highlighted safety concerns surrounding Tesla's Autopilot system, claiming that more than 50 people have died from crashes related to the semi-autonomous driving software.
"I only ever rode in a car using it once, some time ago, but my first thought was that it was far from a safe thing for Tesla to have released," Altman remarked. He further criticised decisions made regarding xAI's Grok chatbot, accusing Musk of taking "every accusation is a confession" to extreme lengths.
Historical Context of the Rift
This public spat represents merely the latest chapter in a conflict that has been simmering for nearly a decade. The origins trace back to 2015 when Musk and Altman co-founded OpenAI as a non-profit artificial intelligence research laboratory.
Fundamental disagreements about the organisation's future direction prompted Musk to propose taking full control in 2017. When this proposal was rejected, Musk resigned from the board in 2018. He subsequently established his own rival AI startup, xAI, in 2023, setting the stage for their current competitive and legal battles.
Legal Proceedings Intensify
The verbal sparring occurs against the backdrop of significant legal hostilities between the two executives. Elon Musk has initiated a lawsuit seeking up to $134 billion in damages, alleging that he was defrauded into founding OpenAI under false pretenses.
OpenAI has vigorously contested these claims, asserting in a recent blog post that Musk is "grossly misrepresenting" historical events. The company characterised the lawsuit as "part of a broader strategy of harassment aimed at slowing us down and advantaging his own AI company."
The judicial process is advancing steadily, with a federal judge having scheduled jury selection for the trial. Proceedings are expected to commence in late April, potentially adding another layer of complexity to this already contentious relationship between two of the most influential figures in contemporary technology.
