Musk attacks OpenAI in testimony, saying ‘no one committed suicide because of Grok’

In a newly released filing in Elon Musk v. OpenAI, the CTO attacked OpenAI’s safety record, claiming that his company, xAI, better prioritizes safety. He went so far as to say that “no one committed suicide because of Grok, but they clearly committed suicide because of ChatGPT.”

The comment came as part of a series of questions about a public letter Musk signed in March 2023. He called on AI labs to halt development of AI systems stronger than GPT-4, OpenAI’s main model at the time, for at least six months. The letter, signed by more than 1,100 people, including many AI experts, said there was insufficient planning and management in AI labs, with AI labs stuck in “an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds, which no one — not even their creators — can reliably understand, predict, or control.”

These concerns have since gained credibility. OpenAI is now facing a series of lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT’s manipulative conversational methods have led to many people suffering negative mental health effects, with some dying by suicide. Musk’s comment suggests that these incidents could be used as an excuse in his case against OpenAI.

A transcript of Musk’s video testimony, which took place in September, was presented publicly this week, ahead of an expected jury trial next month.

The lawsuit against OpenAI centers on the company’s transition from a nonprofit AI research lab to a for-profit company, which Musk claims violated its founding agreements. As part of his arguments, Musk claims that the safety of AI could be compromised by OpenAI’s commercial relationships, because such relationships would put speed, scale, and revenue above safety concerns.

Since that filing, XAI has faced safety concerns. Last month, Musk’s social media network was filled with nude photos created by xAI’s Grok, some of which were said to be of minors. This prompted the California Attorney General’s Office to open an investigation into the matter. The European Union is also conducting its own investigations, and other governments have taken action as well, imposing some bans and bans.

In a recent filing, Musk claimed he signed the AI ​​safety letter because it “seemed like a good idea,” not because he had just founded an AI company looking to compete with OpenAI.

“I signed it, as did many people, to urge caution about the development of artificial intelligence,” Musk said. “I just wanted to prioritize AI safety.” …

Musk also responded to other questions in his testimony, including questions about artificial general intelligence, or AGI — the concept of artificial intelligence that can match or outperform human reasoning across a wide range of tasks — saying “it has risks.” He also asserted that he was “wrong” about his supposed $100 million donation to OpenAI; The second amended complaint in the case puts the actual number closer to $44.8 million.

He also cited the reason for founding OpenAI, which, in his view, was because of his “growing concern about the risk of Google monopolizing AI,” adding that his conversations with Google co-founder Larry Page were “concerning, because he doesn’t seem to take the safety of AI seriously.” Musk claimed that OpenAI was formed to act as a counterweight to this threat.