Tesla Inc. June 12, 2024 — Tesla founder Elon Musk has withdrawn a lawsuit filed in a California court against the American AI-based technology firm OpenAI and its co-founders, Sam Altman and Greg Brockman. The suit, which alleged breach of promise and deviation from OpenAI's founding principles, was withdrawn last Tuesday, according to AFP reports.

Musk's lawsuit claimed that he had supported the creation of OpenAI with the intention of benefiting society. However, he alleged that Altman and Brockman deviated from this goal, transforming OpenAI from a non-profit entity into a profit-driven business, especially following significant funding from Microsoft.

The reasons behind Musk's sudden withdrawal of the lawsuit remain unclear. Neither OpenAI nor Musk provided immediate comments on the matter.

The lawsuit outlined that Altman and Brockman initially approached Musk to establish a non-profit organization focused on advancing artificial intelligence for the greater good. Musk agreed under the condition that OpenAI would operate as a non-profit entity. However, following investments from Microsoft, OpenAI shifted towards a profit-oriented model, which Musk claimed breached their original agreement.

Elon Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but stepped down from the board in 2018. OpenAI gained global attention with the release of its AI-based application, ChatGPT, in November 2022. The application created a significant impact worldwide, leading to further investment from Microsoft.

The withdrawal of this lawsuit leaves many questions unanswered, but it underscores the ongoing tensions and evolving dynamics within the tech industry, particularly concerning the ethical and business practices of leading AI companies.