Musk attacks OpenAI’s safety record in deposition, defends xAI’s Grok

In a newly released deposition tied to his lawsuit against OpenAI, Elon Musk criticised the company’s safety practices, claiming its chatbot ChatGPT has been linked to suicides, unlike xAI’s Grok. The remarks come as OpenAI faces multiple legal challenges over alleged mental health harms, even as Musk’s own AI venture grapples with safety controversies.

In a deposition made public this week, Elon Musk sharply criticised OpenAI, arguing that the company has failed to adequately prioritise user safety as it raced to commercialise artificial intelligence.

During questioning, Musk claimed that “nobody has committed suicide because of Grok,” referring to the chatbot developed by his AI startup xAI, adding that “apparently they have because of ChatGPT.” The remark was made in the context of discussing a March 2023 open letter calling for a pause in the development of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.

That letter, signed by more than 1,100 academics and industry leaders, warned of an “out-of-control race” among AI labs to deploy increasingly powerful systems without sufficient oversight. Since then, OpenAI has faced several lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT engaged users in manipulative conversations that exacerbated mental health issues, with some cases reportedly ending in suicide. Musk suggested these incidents strengthen his legal case.

The deposition transcript comes ahead of a jury trial expected next month. Musk’s lawsuit focuses on OpenAI’s evolution from a nonprofit research organisation into a for-profit entity, which he argues violates its founding principles and risks placing speed, scale, and revenue ahead of safety.

However, Musk’s own AI efforts have not been free of controversy. Last month, his social media platform X was flooded with nonconsensual nude images generated by Grok, including images allegedly depicting minors. The incident prompted investigations by the California Attorney General’s office and European regulators, with some governments moving to restrict or block the technology.

Addressing questions about his motives for signing the AI safety letter, Musk said he did so simply because “it seemed like a good idea,” denying that it was linked to competitive ambitions. “I just wanted AI safety to be prioritised,” he said.

Musk also discussed broader concerns about artificial general intelligence (AGI), calling it inherently risky, and acknowledged he had overstated his financial contributions to OpenAI, revising a previously claimed $100 million donation to about $44.8 million.

Recounting OpenAI’s origins, Musk said the organisation was formed partly out of concern that Google could dominate AI development. He described conversations with Google co-founder Larry Page as “alarming,” claiming Page did not appear to take AI safety seriously at the time.