Neil Elan recently spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the rift between xAI founder Elon Musk and his competitor in the artificial intelligence space, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. After suing OpenAI last year, Musk is aiming to combat what he describes as “unlawful” conduct and receive compensation for damages and fees through the courts.
“The ultimate question is, is this a case of altruism versus greed, as Musk portrays, or is this a case of kind of corporate monopolistic prevention, as Altman and OpenAI present? It’s too early to tell,” Neil tells the LA Times.
He explains that a ruling in Musk’s favor could negatively affect OpenAI’s relationship with its many backers, including Microsoft, which could unravel the company’s future.
“This might not only spell trouble for OpenAI, but it also might result in an avalanche of unintended consequences,” Neil adds.
However, he provides the caveat that if the case went in Altman’s favor, Musk might not be able to recover his investment in OpenAI. Neil analyzes that while a settlement is possible, it appears unlikely given the personalities of the two Silicon Valley billionaires.
“Settlement requires a concession of the weaknesses of one’s perception, perspective and claims, and it will be difficult, in my view, for such strong, big personalities to make such concessions. It’s unlikely that both sides will be able to put that aside for the benefit of obtaining immediate closure,” he concludes.
