Sam Altman's Views on Elon Musk's Political Ties and xAI Competition

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has addressed concerns regarding his former friend and current competitor Elon Musk and his political connections with President-elect Donald Trump. While he acknowledges Musk's influence, he believes that it will not be a tool for harming rival companies.

What Happened: In a recent interview at the New York Times DealBook Summit, Altman expressed his confidence that Musk would not misuse political influence against others in the AI sector. "I may turn out to be wrong, but I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing," he commented. He also noted that using political power to undermine competitors would be "profoundly un-American."

Additionally, Altman recognized that Musk's AI startup, xAI, poses a significant challenge to OpenAI. He referred to xAI as a "really serious competitor."

Background: Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 with Altman but departed the organization in 2018 due to conflicts of interest. Despite their evolving relationship, Altman mentioned, "I have different feelings about him Musk now, but I'm still glad he exists." He appreciates Musk for inspiring ambitious thinking in a time when such aspirations were limited.

Why It Matters: Musk has publicly supported Trump and contributed millions to his campaign, particularly in key battleground states like Pennsylvania. He has also been brought into governmental roles aimed at significantly reducing the federal budget.

In light of these developments, some technology leaders, including Altman, are concerned about Musk's potential influence on regulatory considerations. Reports suggest that Altman has reached out to individuals in Trump's close circle, including Jared Kushner and Joshua Kushner.

Moreover, Musk's recent moves include filing a court injunction against OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit model, following a previous lawsuit alleging that OpenAI was prioritizing commercial viability over its original mission. Meanwhile, OpenAI's value skyrocketed to $157 billion after securing substantial funding. In contrast, Musk's xAI is reportedly seeking to raise $6 billion to reach a valuation of $50 billion.

In summary, while Altman expresses no fear regarding Musk's connections, he acknowledges the rising influence and competition of xAI in the landscape of artificial intelligence.

Altman, Musk, xAI