Elon Musk’s nearly $100bn bid for OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, has been rejected by the company’s board of directors. However, experts say that even though the offer was unsuccessful, it could still have a significant impact on OpenAI’s plans to transform from a non-profit to a for-profit company.
Musk’s bid aims to raise costs associated with changing OpenAI’s structure, which involves a partnership between non-profit and for-profit arms. By putting a price tag on the non-profit part of OpenAI, Musk makes it more expensive for CEO Sam Altman to strip away the non-profit board.
This move is seen as an attempt by Musk to block OpenAI’s growth trajectory and protect his own interests in AI development, particularly with his company xAI and chatbot Grok. However, experts argue that Musk has missed the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to AI research and may be trying to harm his most formidable competitor.
The rejection of Musk’s bid also led to a series of tense exchanges between Musk and Altman, including a public spat on X. The situation is further complicated by a court case in which Musk is seeking an injunction to block OpenAI’s planned conversion into a for-profit company.
As the stakes continue to rise, experts warn that Musk’s actions could damage his own reputation, which has long been associated with innovation and success. By causing controversy and creating noise, Musk may ultimately harm himself rather than achieving his goals.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce8yl47p4k3o