Elon Musk sues OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, claiming betrayal of its goal to benefit humanity

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has turned ChatGPT into a profit-making endeavor, a betrayal of the project's founding aims of benefiting humanity, says billionaire Elon Musk. (AP/File)
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Updated 02 March 2024
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Elon Musk sues OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, claiming betrayal of its goal to benefit humanity

Elon Musk is suing OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman over what he says is a betrayal of the ChatGPT maker’s founding aims of benefiting humanity rather than pursuing profits.
In a lawsuit filed at San Francisco Superior Court, billionaire Musk said that when he bankrolled OpenAI’s creation, he secured an agreement with Altman and Greg Brockman, the president, to keep the AI company as a nonprofit that would develop technology for the benefit of the public.
Under its founding agreement, OpenAI would also make its code open to the public instead of walling it off for any private company’s gains, the lawsuit says.
However, by embracing a close relationship with Microsoft, OpenAI and its top executives have set that pact “aflame” and are “perverting” the company’s mission, Musk alleges in the lawsuit.
OpenAI declined to comment on the lawsuit Friday.
“OpenAI, Inc. has been transformed into a closed-source de facto subsidiary of the largest technology company in the world: Microsoft,” the lawsuit filed Thursday says. “Under its new Board, it is not just developing but is actually refining an AGI to maximize profits for Microsoft, rather than for the benefit of humanity.”




REUTERS illustration

AGI refers to artificial general intelligence, which are general purpose AI systems that can perform just as well as — or even better than — humans in a wide variety of tasks.
Musk is suing over breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and unfair business practices. He also wants an injunction to prevent anyone, including Microsoft, from benefiting from OpenAI’s technology.
Those claims are unlikely to succeed in court but that might not be the point for Musk, who is getting his take and personal story on the record, said Anupam Chander, a law professor at Georgetown University.
“Partly there’s an assertion of Elon’s founding role in OpenAI and generative AI technology, in particularly his claim he named OpenAI and he hired the key scientist and that he was the primary funder of its early years,” Chander said. “In some sense it’s a lawsuit that tries to establish his own place in the history of generative AI.”
Musk was an early investor in OpenAI when it was founded in 2015 and co-chaired its board alongside Altman. In the lawsuit, he said he invested “tens of millions” of dollars in the nonprofit research laboratory.
Musk resigned from the board in early 2018 in a move that OpenAI said at the time would prevent conflicts of interest as the Tesla CEO was recruiting AI talent to build self-driving technology at the electric car maker. “This will eliminate a potential future conflict for Elon,” OpenAI said in a February 2018 blog post. Musk has since said he also had disagreements with the startup’s direction, but he continued to donate to the nonprofit.
Later that year, OpenAI filed papers to incorporate a for-profit arm and began shifting most of its workforce to that business, but retained a nonprofit board of directors that governed the company. Microsoft made its first $1 billion investment in the company in 2019 and the next year, signed an agreement that gave the software giant exclusive rights to its AI models. That license is supposed to expire once OpenAI has achieved artificial general intelligence, the company has said.




ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is looking to fuse its artificial intelligence systems into the bodies of humanoid robots as part of a new deal with robotics startup Figure. (AP/File)

Its unveiling of ChatGPT in late 2022 bought worldwide fame to OpenAI and helped spark a race by tech companies to capitalize on the public’s fascination with the technology.
When the nonprofit board abruptly fired Altman as CEO late last year, for reasons that still haven’t been fully disclosed, it was Microsoft that helped drive the push that brought Altman back as CEO and led most of the old board to resign. Musk’s lawsuit alleged that those changes caused the checks and balances protecting the nonprofit mission to “collapse overnight.”
One of Musk’s claims is that the directors of the nonprofit have failed to uphold their obligations to follow its mission, but Dana Brakman Reiser, a professor at Brooklyn Law School, is skeptical that Musk had standing to bring that claim.
“It would be very worrisome if every person who cared about or donated to a charity could suddenly sue their directors and officers to say, ‘You’re not doing what I think is the right thing to run this nonprofit,’” she said. In general, only other directors or an attorney general, for example, could bring that type of suit, she said.
Even if Musk invested in the for-profit business, his complaint seems to be that the organization is making too much profit in contradiction to its mission, which includes making its technology publicly available.
“I care about nonprofits actually following the mission that they set out and not being captured for some kind for profit purpose. That is a real concern,” Brakman Reiser said. “Whether Elon Musk is the person to raise that claim, I’m less sure.”
Whatever the legal merits of the claims, a brewing courtroom fight between Musk and Altman could offer the public a peek into the internal debates and decision-making at OpenAI, though the company’s lawyers will likely fight to keep some of those documents confidential.
“The discovery will be epic,” posted venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya on Musk’s social media platform X on Friday. To which Musk replied in his only public commentary so far on the case: “Yes.”
 


Dozens of former Eurovision contestants call for Israel ban from contest

Updated 06 May 2025
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Dozens of former Eurovision contestants call for Israel ban from contest

  • 72 artists accused the EBU of double standards, ‘normalizing and whitewashing’ alleged Israeli war crimes
  • Open letter criticizes organizers for last year’s ‘disastrous’ contest

LONDON: A group of 72 former Eurovision contestants has called on the European Broadcasting Union to ban Israel and its national broadcaster, KAN, from this year’s song contest, citing the country’s war in Gaza.

In an open letter published Tuesday, the artists accused the EBU of “normalizing and whitewashing” alleged Israeli war crimes by allowing the country’s participation.

“By continuing to platform the representation of the Israeli state, the EBU is normalizing and whitewashing its crimes,” the letter said, adding that the organization’s handling of last year’s contest in Sweden was “disastrous,” resulting in “the most politicized, chaotic and unpleasant edition in the competition’s history.

“Last year, we were appalled that the EBU allowed Israel to participate while it continued its genocide in Gaza broadcast live for the world to see,” it said.

“Rather than acknowledging the widespread criticism and reflecting on its own failures, the EBU responded by doubling down — granting total impunity to the Israeli delegation while repressing other artists and delegations.”

Among those signing the letter are the UK’s 2023 entrant Mae Muller, Ireland’s 1994 Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan, Finnish singer Kaija Karkinen and Portuguese performer Fernando Tordo.

Controversy surrounding Israel’s participation has grown since last year, when the EBU resisted mounting pressure to ban the country despite its military campaign in Gaza.

Critics accused the EBU of double standards, citing Russia’s exclusion from the contest in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine.

“Silence is not an option,” the letter said. “The EBU has already demonstrated that it is capable of taking measures, as in 2022, when it expelled Russia from the competition. We don’t accept this double standard regarding Israel.”

The appeal comes amid increasing scrutiny over Israel’s inclusion in this year’s contest, which will take place in Basel, Switzerland, from May 13-17.

Last week, the EBU lifted a ban on Palestinian flags in the audience, reversing a longstanding policy that prohibited symbols from non-competing countries or territories.

Officials in several countries — including Spain, Iceland and Slovenia — have also voiced objections. Slovenia publicly protested Israel’s inclusion earlier this month.

Despite growing criticism, the EBU has said that Israel’s entry complies with competition rules and will proceed as planned. Large-scale protests are expected during the event.

This year, Israel will be represented by Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack, performing a song titled “New Day Will Rise.”


AFP Gaza photographers shortlisted for Pulitzer Prize

Updated 06 May 2025
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AFP Gaza photographers shortlisted for Pulitzer Prize

  • Jury praised the ‘powerful images’ from Gaza by Mahmud Hams, Omar Al-Qattaa, Said Khatib and Bashar Taleb

NEW YORK: Four Palestinian photographers from Agence France-Presse (AFP) were finalists for their Gaza coverage in the “Breaking News Photography” category of the Pulitzer Prize, the most prestigious awards in US journalism.
The jury for the award, presented on Monday by Columbia University in New York, praised the “powerful images” from Gaza by Mahmud Hams, Omar Al-Qattaa, Said Khatib and Bashar Taleb.

Photographers for AFP were Pulitzer Prize finalist for their work from Gaza, including this image by Omar Al-Qattaa. (AFP/File)


The AFP photographers’ work encapsulated “the enduring humanity of the people of Gaza amid widespread destruction and loss,” they said.
The Pulitzer nomination crowns an exceptional year for Hams, who also won the News award at the Visa pour l’Image festival in Perpignan and the Bayeux Calvados Prize for war correspondents — two of the most prestigious international awards in photojournalism.

Photographers for AFP were Pulitzer Prize finalist for their work from Gaza, including this image by Said Khatib. (AFP/File)


AFP has provided uninterrupted coverage of the war in Gaza since 2023, when Hamas launched its attack against Israel on October 7, with teams on both sides of the border to guarantee rigorous and impartial information.
AFP’s local journalists are working in perilous conditions in Gaza to document the consequences of the war on civilians.
Since the start of the war, virtually no journalist has been able to cross into Gaza, which borders Israel and Egypt.

Photographers for AFP were Pulitzer Prize finalist for their work from Gaza, including this image by Bashar Taleb. (AFP/File)


“This recognition is a tribute not only to the talent and bravery of these photographers, but also to AFP’s steadfast commitment to documenting events with accuracy and integrity, wherever they unfold,” Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director, said in a statement.
“We are deeply grateful to Mahmud, Omar, Said, and Bashar, whose work gives voice to those caught in the heart of the conflict,” he added.


YouTube sets sights on enhancing Saudi user experience with shift from smartphones to TV

Updated 06 May 2025
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YouTube sets sights on enhancing Saudi user experience with shift from smartphones to TV

  • Pedro Pina took reporters back in time with a video of early meetings between the YouTube co-founders

ZURICH/RIYADH: YouTube is setting its sights on Saudi Arabia, aiming to shift video consumption from smartphones to television and leveraging the Kingdom’s affinity for the platform. 

As it celebrates its 20th anniversary, the platform envisions a new era for the region, positioning YouTubers like Noor Stars as the next Hollywood stars. Additionally, YouTube is exploring artificial intelligence-enhanced experiences, including dubbing and other innovative features, to engage users on the big screen. 

Pedro Pina, vice president of YouTube in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, told Arab News: “Whether you are talking about Egypt or Saudi Arabia, we want to be the zeitgeist of culture; we want to be the future of TV. 

“As these countries pick up steam in terms of penetration in connectivity, it will happen.” 

According to a study released by YouTube’s internal data, the platform reaches more than 12 million people in Saudi Arabia, over 2.5 million in the UAE, and 600,000 in Qatar over the age of 18 via connected TV.  

Saudi Arabia has developed a significant affinity for YouTube, with 95.8 percent of the population using the platform. As YouTube looks to shift viewing from smartphones to television, it aims to enhance the way content is experienced by audiences in Saudi Arabia. 

TV is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the US, and viewers in the Middle East are shifting their viewing preferences from the smartphone to the TV. 

During a two-day press gathering to mark YouTube’s anniversary, hosted in Zurich, the platform’s executives gathered to reflect on its growth since its inception in 2005, while highlighting future features and the vision for the region. 

Executives who spoke about the evolution and progression of YouTube included Pina; Amjad Hanif, vice president of product management for YouTube creator products; Roya Zeitoune, head of YouTube’s culture and trends for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; and Geoff van der Meer, vice president of engineering. 

Pina took reporters back in time with a video of early meetings between the YouTube co-founders, showing them discussing the future of the platform. 

He highlighted that between the co-founders, “there were a lot of conversations about where the site was going to be … and what they were going to do about the ability of uploading videos.” 

As YouTube looks to the future, it has four areas of focus: remaining the epicenter of culture, creators becoming the startups of Hollywood, YouTube becoming the new television, and AI being implemented to enhance the experience for viewers and creators. 

“Creators are continuing to be the new startups. Noor Stars is one of the creators who is incredibly successful in the region,” Pina said, adding that she represents one of the success stories in YouTube’s mission: “Give everyone a voice and show them the world. This has been our goal since we began.”

Pina highlighted the strong engagement YouTube receives from viewers across the Middle East, citing the region’s diverse cultures and varied realities. 

When asked what new features can be expected in the region, Pina said: “The solutions will look and feel different in each country (in the Middle East) because they are in different levels of development. 

“For example, the penetration of connected TVs is different in one type of country from another, and therefore the future of TV viewing for creators will also feel different from other regions.”

Among the topics executives discussed was podcasting. With podcasting becoming increasingly mainstream, Pina highlighted YouTube’s newly released statistic: Over 1 billion people interact with podcast content on YouTube each month, and those viewers are watching over 400 million hours of podcasts monthly on their TVs. 

The rise of podcasting as a mainstream media format is not unexpected. As of now, the most viewed podcast episode on YouTube comes from Saudi Arabia’s Thmanyah, a sister publication of Arab News under SRMG, with 140 million views. 

Another topic discussed was the YouTube Partner Program, which allows creators to have sustainable revenue and build a business while pursuing their passions through content creation. 

According to YouTube’s internal data, in Saudi Arabia, the number of YouTube channels making seven figures or more in Saudi riyals is up 40 percent year on year. And in the UAE, the number of YouTube channels making seven figures or more in SR is up 15 percent year on year.

Hanif said that there are currently 3 million YouTubers in the partner program, and more than half a million of them started their channel over a decade ago. 

Hanif added: “That speaks to the sustainability and the thoughtfulness we put into the program to make sure they are able to build a business this year, and YPP gives them the opportunity to continue to build and expand that business.” 

The first YouTube video was uploaded on April 23, 2005, by Jawed Karim, one of the three co-founders of the platform. The video was titled “Me at the Zoo.” Since then, YouTube has grown exponentially, with over 20 billion videos uploaded as of April 2025. 


Palestinian writer wins Pulitzer Prize for Gaza war commentary

Updated 06 May 2025
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Palestinian writer wins Pulitzer Prize for Gaza war commentary

  • Mosab Abu Toha was awarded the $15,000 award for four of his essays published in The New Yorker

DUBAI: Renowned Palestinian poet and author Mosab Abu Toha won the Pulitzer Prize in commentary for his published essays documenting the suffering of people in Gaza.

Abu Toha was awarded the $15,000 award for four of his essays published in The New Yorker “on the physical and emotional carnage in Gaza that combine deep reporting with the intimacy of memoir to convey the Palestinian experience of more than a year and a half of war with Israel,” the Pulitzer board said.

Announcing his win, Abu Toha wrote on X: “Let it bring hope. Let it be a tale.”

The writer, who was born in a refugee camp in Gaza City, lost 31 family members in an airstrike on their home on Oct. 28, 2023 amid the war in Gaza.

He was detained by Israeli forces in November 2023 while trying to flee his home in northern Gaza, where he lived most of his life and was wounded aged 16 by an Israeli airstrike.

Abu Toha, along with his wife and three children, are now based in the US, where he received a Harvard fellowship for scholars at risk in 2019.

In a tribute post on Tuesday following his Pulitzer prize win, Abu Toha wrote on X: “Blessings to the 31 members of my family who were killed in one airstrike in 2023.

“Blessings to the soul of my great aunt, Fatima, whose ‘corpse’ remains under the rubble of her house since October 2024. Blessings to the graves of my grandparents who I will never find.”


Israeli soldiers raid home of Palestinian activist featured in Louis Theroux documentary

Updated 06 May 2025
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Israeli soldiers raid home of Palestinian activist featured in Louis Theroux documentary

  • Issa Amro posted videos on social media showing confrontations with Israeli soldiers, settlers at his home in Hebron
  • The activist said ‘they wanted revenge from me for participating in the BBC documentary’

LONDON: Israeli soldiers have raided the home of Issa Amro, a prominent Palestinian activist featured in Louis Theroux’s recent BBC documentary “The Settlers,” in what he described as a retaliatory move for his appearance in the film.

Amro, co-founder of the non-violent group Youth Against Settlements, posted videos on social media showing confrontations with Israeli soldiers at his home in Hebron, as well as footage of Israeli settlers entering the property.

“The soldiers raided my house today, they wanted revenge from me for participating in the BBC documentary ‘the settlers’, after the army left the settlers raided my house, they injured one activist and cut the tree, they stole tools and the garbage containers,” he said in a post on X.

The incident comes as Israel intensifies its military operations in the West Bank, even as global attention remains focused on its war in Gaza. Human rights groups have long accused Israeli settlers — often accompanied or protected by soldiers — of conducting near-daily raids on Palestinian communities to intimidate residents and seize land.

Despite repeated condemnation by the international community, attacks by settlers and security forces have grown more frequent and more violent, forcing many Palestinians to abandon their homes.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are considered illegal under international law. The expansion of settlements has drawn comparisons from rights organizations to the apartheid system once seen in South Africa.

Amro, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee, appeared in “The Settlers,” a follow-up to Theroux’s 2012 documentary “The Ultra Zionists.” In the new film, he guides Theroux through Israeli-occupied Hebron, where around 700 settlers live under heavy military protection among a Palestinian population of roughly 35,000.

The documentary not only examines the daily realities of life under occupation but also explores the religious and ideological motivations driving the settler movement.

Amro said Israeli police threatened him with arrest and told him not to file a complaint. In one video posted on X, he confronts balaclava-wearing soldiers and asks why their faces are covered. One responds: “You know exactly why.”

Theroux commented on X that his team is in regular contact with Amro and is “continuing to monitor the situation.”

The incident echoes a similar case in March, when Hamdan Ballal, a co-director of the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” was assaulted outside his home in Susya, a village in the Masafer Yatta area of the West Bank, before being briefly detained. Ballal later claimed he was beaten while in custody and described the attack as “revenge for our movie.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces denied Amro’s claims, saying: “As the videos clearly show, the soldiers present on May 3 in the Hebron area were there to disperse the confrontation between Palestinian residents and Israeli civilians.”