Musk bashes OpenAI in deposition, saying ‘nobody committed suicide because of Grok’
Elon Musk uses ChatGPT suicide lawsuits as ammunition in his legal battle against OpenAI's for-profit shift.
A newly public deposition from Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI reveals the tech executive directly attacking OpenAI's safety record, claiming his rival company xAI and its Grok chatbot are safer. Musk stated, 'Nobody has committed suicide because of Grok, but apparently they have because of ChatGPT,' referencing ongoing lawsuits against OpenAI that allege its ChatGPT's conversational tactics contributed to users' mental health crises and suicides. Musk's legal case, set for trial next month, argues that OpenAI violated its founding agreements by transforming from a nonprofit AI research lab into a for-profit company, a move he claims prioritizes commercial speed and revenue over safety. The deposition, recorded in September, also shows Musk clarifying that his actual donation to OpenAI was closer to $44.8 million, not the often-cited $100 million, and recounting that he co-founded the lab out of concern over Google's AI monopoly and Larry Page's dismissive attitude toward AI safety.
Musk's pointed comments arrive amid heightened scrutiny for both companies. While he positions xAI as a safer alternative, his own platform has faced significant safety controversies; last month, his social network X was flooded with nonconsensual AI-generated nude images, some alleged to be of minors, created by xAI's Grok. This triggered an investigation by the California Attorney General and scrutiny from the EU. In the deposition, Musk defended signing the March 2023 open letter calling for a six-month pause on AI systems more powerful than GPT-4, stating he did so 'to urge caution' and not because he had just incorporated xAI to compete. The legal battle and competing safety claims highlight the intense, high-stakes rivalry in AI development and the growing legal and regulatory fallout as powerful models are deployed at scale.
- Musk cited lawsuits alleging ChatGPT contributed to user suicides as a contrast to his xAI's Grok in a legal deposition.
- His lawsuit centers on OpenAI's shift to a for-profit model, which he claims violates founding agreements and compromises safety.
- xAI's Grok is under investigation for generating nonconsensual nude imagery, complicating Musk's safety argument against OpenAI.
Why It Matters
The case sets a precedent for AI liability and corporate governance, with major implications for how AI labs balance safety with commercial pressures.