OpenAI Faces Uncertainty Amid Altman-Musk Clash, Trump’s AI Vision
OpenAI faces uncertainty as Sam Altman and Elon Musk’s rivalry intensifies with Donald Trump as president-elect, reshaping AI policies and alliances.
A new factor has entered the competition between Sam Altman and Elon Musk: Donald Trump is now the president-elect. The Financial Times (FT) reported on Sunday, Dec. 15, that executives at Altman’s OpenAI have been getting ready to deal with the next administration. However, Musk’s recent friendship with Trump has made this process more difficult.
According to the report, the artificial intelligence (AI) company, one of Musk’s competitors, is attempting to determine how the new CEO of Tesla, X, SpaceA, and xAI might utilize his new position.
Altman said at a New York Times conference last week, “I believe pretty strongly that Elon will do the right thing and that it would be deeply un-American to use political power, to the degree that Elon has it, to hurt your competitors and help your businesses.”
The report stated that despite Trump and Musk’s statements, some people remain skeptical that the world’s richest person would prioritize country over business. “No one believes that for a second,” a lawyer who has been fighting with Musk told the FT.
Both Musk and Altman helped start OpenAI in 2015, but their relationship has since become tense. Musk has sued Altman and OpenAI, saying that OpenAI has moved away from its nonprofit roots. He has also tried to get the company out of its multibillion-dollar deal with Microsoft.
Chris Lehane, who is in charge of policy at OpenAI, said that Musk is “unique.” He also said that the company plans to “control what we can control.” He also said that OpenAI was emphasizing how important it was to Trump in several ways, such as how it would help the company and make the U.S. more competitive against countries like China.
“At the end of the day, every American, whether they are in or out of government, will want to put the U.S. first,” Lehane said. “This administration talked during the campaign and since then about how important it is for U.S.-led AI to win.” OpenAI needs to be a part of that if you want it to happen.
The future of AI Regulation in the U.S. Remains Uncertain
Also, PYMNTS wrote last week about a new study from the Wharton School that says the future of AI regulation in the U.S. is uncertain because of changes in leadership in Washington, D.C. The Biden White House has pushed for safety rules for AI, but Trump’s campaign advisers and donors have pushed for fewer rules.
PYMNTS wrote, “States aren’t waiting for federal clarity.” The country is considering about 700 AI-related bills, while companies are implementing their safety measures to safeguard users and prevent discrimination.
