Geoffrey Hinton Supports Elon Musk's Legal Challenge Against OpenAI

Geoffrey Hinton, recognized as the "Godfather of artificial intelligence," has publicly expressed his support for Elon Musk's legal efforts to prevent OpenAI from transitioning to a for-profit organization. Hinton, who was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics in October, has been instrumental in the development of artificial neural networks, which serve as the cornerstone of modern AI technology.

In a statement released on Monday by a youth-led group called Encode, which advocates for a human-centered approach in AI, Hinton emphasized that OpenAI was initially founded as a non-profit organization with a strong focus on safety. He pointed out that the organization had made several commitments regarding safety outlined in its charter.

"OpenAI was founded as an explicitly safety-focused non-profit and made a variety of safety-related promises in its charter," Hinton stated. He added that the organization has received numerous tax advantages and other benefits due to its non-profit status. "Allowing it to tear all of that up when it becomes inconvenient sends a very bad message to other actors in the ecosystem," he remarked.

Originally established in 2015 as a non-profit research lab by Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and others, OpenAI initially operated with a commitment to public safety in mind. However, after introducing a capped-profit model in 2019, OpenAI is now seeking to adopt a more traditional for-profit structure, claiming it needs to raise capital under conventional terms.

Musk, who distanced himself from OpenAI in 2018, is currently working to halt this transition and has accused OpenAI of misleading him during its founding by stressing the risks associated with AI. In February, he filed a lawsuit alleging that OpenAI broke its non-profit commitments through its partnership with Microsoft. Although he withdrew the lawsuit briefly, he refiled it in August.

Encode, the organization supporting Musk's lawsuit, filed an amicus brief in court stressing that the proposed restructuring would significantly compromise OpenAI's commitment to prioritizing public safety. In their press release, they articulated concerns that the nonprofit-controlled structure of OpenAI is essential for governance and that transferring control to a for-profit company would undermine these guardrails.

Hinton has previously criticized OpenAI's approach toward safety, particularly in regard to its current CEO, Sam Altman. During a recent press conference, he noted that Altman appears to prioritize profits over safety and described the situation as "unfortunate." Hinton has also conveyed regret over his role in developing AI technology, emphasizing concerns about its potential dangers.

Musk's involvement in this ongoing legal battle, combined with Hinton's backing, highlights a significant debate in the tech community about the direction of AI development and the responsibilities of organizations in ensuring public safety amidst rapid innovation.

Hinton, Musk, OpenAI