In a recent deposition related to his case against OpenAI, Elon Musk criticized the company’s safety measures, asserting that his firm, xAI, prioritizes safety more effectively. Musk stated, “Nobody has committed suicide because of Grok, but apparently they have because of ChatGPT.”
This statement emerged during questions about a public letter Musk signed in March 2023. The letter urged AI labs to pause the development of systems more advanced than GPT-4 for six months, citing insufficient planning and oversight in the “race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one – not even their creators – can understand, predict, or reliably control.” Over 1,100 individuals, including AI experts, signed the letter.
Concerns have grown since, with OpenAI facing lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT’s manipulative conversations have harmed mental health, leading to suicides. Musk’s remark suggests these incidents may support his case against OpenAI.
The transcript of Musk’s September video testimony was publicized this week, ahead of a jury trial set for next month. The lawsuit against OpenAI focuses on its transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit model, which Musk argues breached initial agreements and potentially jeopardized AI safety due to commercial pressures on speed, scale, and profit.
However, xAI has encountered its own safety issues. Last month, non-consensual nude images generated by xAI’s Grok, including those purportedly of minors, inundated Musk’s platform, X. This prompted an investigation by the California Attorney General and the EU, with some governments imposing restrictions on Grok.
In the deposition, Musk explained that he signed the AI safety letter because it “seemed like a good idea,” not because he had just launched an AI company to rival OpenAI.
“I signed it, as many people did, to urge caution with AI development,” Musk stated. “I just wanted AI safety to be prioritized.”
Musk also addressed topics such as artificial general intelligence (AGI), acknowledging the risks, and clarified his previous claim of a $100 million donation to OpenAI, which was closer to $44.8 million.
He recounted OpenAI’s founding, motivated by apprehension over Google’s potential AI monopoly, noting concerning discussions with Google co-founder Larry Page about AI safety. Musk described OpenAI as a counterbalance to that threat.