Elon Musk Gains Key Backers in Legal Fight Against OpenAI's For-Profit Shift

AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton and nonprofit Encode join Musk's efforts to block OpenAI's restructuring, citing safety and ethical concerns.

Elon Musk's lawsuit seeks to prevent OpenAI from transitioning to a for-profit Delaware Public Benefit Corporation, arguing it violates the nonprofit's founding mission.
AI 'godfather' Geoffrey Hinton, a 2024 Nobel laureate, has publicly supported Musk's case, criticizing OpenAI's shift as prioritizing profits over safety and public benefit.
Nonprofit organization Encode has filed an amicus brief, claiming the restructuring undermines OpenAI's safety commitments and risks setting a harmful precedent for AI development.
OpenAI defends its restructuring as necessary to attract capital for advancing AI, while Musk alleges the company misled him and others about its intentions during its founding.
The legal battle highlights broader tensions over the governance of transformative AI technologies, with critics emphasizing the need for nonprofit oversight to ensure ethical development.