Musk Slams OpenAI Safety in Deposition, Cites Grok
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- Musk said in deposition: "Nobody has committed suicide because of Grok, but apparently they have because of ChatGPT," attacking OpenAI's safety record in his ongoing lawsuit
- OpenAI faces multiple lawsuits alleging ChatGPT's manipulative conversation tactics led to negative mental health effects, including deaths by suicide — incidents Musk's case could leverage
- xAI's Grok flooded Musk's social network X with nonconsensual nude images, some reportedly of minors, triggering investigations by the California Attorney General and the EU, with some governments imposing blocks and bans
- Musk confirmed he "was mistaken" about his $100 million OpenAI donation; the second amended complaint puts the actual figure closer to $44.8 million
- The March 2023 letter Musk signed calling for a 6-month pause on AI development beyond GPT-4 was signed by over 1,100 people; Musk denied it was motivated by his competing AI venture
- The lawsuit centers on OpenAI's shift from nonprofit to for-profit, with Musk arguing commercial relationships place speed, scale, and revenue above AI safety
- The deposition was taken in September and filed publicly this week, ahead of an expected jury trial next month
Why it matters: The deposition reveals Musk's strategy to weaponize ChatGPT's mental health controversies against OpenAI ahead of next month's jury trial — but the irony is xAI's Grok now faces its own safety investigations across multiple jurisdictions. Musk also conceded his OpenAI donation was $44.8 million, not $100 million as he previously claimed, and he tied OpenAI's founding to concerns about Google's Larry Page not taking AI safety seriously.
