In a recently unveiled deposition pertaining to Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, the prominent tech executive leveled criticisms against OpenAI’s safety track record. He asserted that his own artificial intelligence venture, xAI, places a higher emphasis on safety. Musk specifically stated, “Nobody has committed suicide because of Grok, but apparently they have because of ChatGPT.”
This contentious remark emerged during questioning regarding a public letter Musk co-signed in March 2023. The letter urged AI laboratories to implement a minimum six-month moratorium on the development of AI systems more potent than OpenAI’s then-flagship model, GPT-4. Endorsed by over 1,100 individuals, including numerous AI experts, the letter highlighted a perceived deficit in planning and management within AI labs. It characterized the situation as an “out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict, or reliably control.”
These concerns have since gained further credence. OpenAI is currently contending with a series of lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT’s persuasive conversational tactics have contributed to adverse mental health outcomes for several individuals, with some cases tragically ending in suicide. Musk’s comment implies that these alleged incidents could serve as pertinent evidence in his ongoing legal challenge against OpenAI.
The transcript of Musk’s video testimony, originally recorded in September, was made publicly available this week, in anticipation of the scheduled jury trial next month.
The core of Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI revolves around the company’s transition from a nonprofit AI research laboratory to a for-profit entity, a move Musk contends violated its foundational agreements. Among his arguments, Musk posits that OpenAI’s commercial engagements could jeopardize AI safety by prioritizing speed, scalability, and revenue over crucial safety considerations.
However, since the recording of that testimony, xAI has encountered its own set of safety issues. Last month, Musk’s social media platform, X, experienced a surge of non-consensual nude images generated by xAI’s Grok, with some reportedly depicting minors. This incident prompted the California Attorney General’s office to launch an investigation. The European Union is also conducting its own inquiry, and other governments have taken measures, including imposing blocks and bans.
In the newly filed deposition, Musk clarified that his reason for signing the AI safety letter was because “it seemed like a good idea,” rather than as a strategic move linked to the recent incorporation of his own AI company, xAI, which seeks to compete with OpenAI.
Musk elaborated, “I signed it, as many people did, to urge caution with AI development. I just wanted to — AI safety to be prioritized.”
The deposition also covered other subjects, including artificial general intelligence (AGI), defined as AI capable of matching or surpassing human reasoning across a wide spectrum of tasks. Musk remarked that AGI “has a risk.” He also confirmed an earlier error regarding his purported $100 million donation to OpenAI, stating he “was mistaken,” with the second amended complaint in the case revising the actual figure closer to $44.8 million.
Musk further recounted his perspective on the founding of OpenAI, attributing its creation to his “increasingly concerned about the danger of Google being a monopoly in AI.” He added that his discussions with Google co-founder Larry Page were “alarming, in that he did not seem to be taking AI safety seriously,” claiming OpenAI was established as a counterbalance to this perceived threat.
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