A group of former OpenAI employees has joined Elon Musk’s lawsuit, backing his claim that the company’s restructuring would “fundamentally violate” its mission as a non-profit organization. The move comes as investors push for a change in structure, which could affect the company’s non-profit status and lead to significant changes.
Musk sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman last year, alleging that the company is straying from its founding mission of developing AI for humanity, not corporate profit. The former employees, who held technical and leadership roles, argue that stripping the non-profit of its controlling role would compromise its oversight and strategy, as well as recruitment efforts.
The non-profit structure was crucial to OpenAI’s ability to execute on its mission, according to the former employees. They claim that executives had emphasized the importance of this structure repeatedly during their time at the company. The transition, which is necessary for OpenAI to secure a $40 billion fundraising round, would also enrich the non-profit with deep resources.
In response, OpenAI says that the change in structure will not affect its mission and that the non-profit’s role will remain unchanged. However, Musk and Altman are set to begin a jury trial next year, and this development adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing dispute.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/group-ex-openai-employees-back-musks-lawsuit-halt-openai-restructure-2025-04-12