Following Tesla Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg also expressed opposition to OpenAI's transition to a for-profit corporation, forming a united front.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 15th (local time), Zuckerberg recently sent a letter to the attorney general of California requesting that OpenAI's transition to a for-profit corporation be blocked.
In the letter, he criticized, "OpenAI raised billions of dollars by utilizing its nonprofit status, but now it intends to transfer to a for-profit corporation to use the funds for private interests." He also noted, "This change could negatively impact Silicon Valley and the startup ecosystem," expressing concern that "nonprofit investors might create a bad precedent by benefiting like for-profit corporate investors while receiving tax benefits."
The opposition to OpenAI's transition to a for-profit corporation appears to be linked to concerns that OpenAI will become a stronger competitor in the AI market. According to Bloomberg, OpenAI is reportedly in initial discussions with California authorities regarding the transition to a for-profit corporation.
Musk also strongly opposed the transition, filing a lawsuit to stop OpenAI's move to become a for-profit corporation. He claimed that transitioning to profit-seeking breached the contract with investors, breaking the promise made during OpenAI's founding to operate as a nonprofit organization.
Meanwhile, it is noteworthy that Musk and Zuckerberg, who had an antagonistic relationship due to previous online disputes and fight challenges, are now working together on this issue. In response, OpenAI rebutted through a statement on the 13th, stating, "Musk proposed the transition to a for-profit corporation in 2017 and actually executed it."