Elon Musk has intensified his criticism of OpenAI’s transition from its original non-profit, open-source mission to a for-profit model. He likened this transformation to funding a rainforest preservation initiative that morphs into a logging enterprise. “OpenAI is meant to be open source non-profit, and now it is closed. They changed the name to closed for maximum profit,” Musk said at the World Government Summit in Dubai.
Musk’s comments come after his recent $97.4 billion bid to acquire the non-profit controlling OpenAI, aiming to revert it to its foundational principles. This move has been met with resistance from OpenAI, with CEO Sam Altman dismissing the offer and proposing a counter-purchase of Musk’s platform, X, for $9.74 billion.
Are humanoid robots the future?
Beyond the corporate dynamics, Musk predicts a future where advanced AI and humanoid robots revolutionise the economy. He predicts that with the integration of deep intelligence and robotics, “you can produce any product, provide any service. There’s really no limit to the economy at that point.” He further speculated on the potential obsolescence of traditional economic systems, pondering, “Will money even be meaningful? I don’t know. It might not be.”
Musk’s projections include the mass production of humanoid robots, with estimates suggesting that by 2040, there could be 10 billion such robots globally. This concept aligns with his broader goal of leveraging AI to enhance productivity and transform industries.
However, Musk also acknowledges the societal implications of such advancements. He emphasised the importance of instilling ethical values in AI systems, drawing parallels to raising a super-genius child. “It matters, like, what sort of values do we instil in that child?” he remarked, advocating for AI to be “maximally truth-seeking” and curious to foster positive outcomes for humanity.
