Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, announced on Monday that he will create an artificial intelligence (AI) platform called “TruthGPT” to compete with the offerings of Microsoft and Google. He has been actively recruiting AI researchers from Google in order to advance his plans. He has also registered a new firm in Nevada called X.AI Corp, in response to the Microsoft-backed OpenAI chatbot sensation ChatGPT.
Musk’s decision to challenge the offerings of Microsoft and Google links to his criticism of OpenAI as a “closed source,” a “for-profit” organization that he believes is training AI to lie. He has voiced concern about Google founder Larry Page’s lack of interest in AI safety.
In an interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, Musk said, “I’m going to start something which I call ‘TruthGPT’, or a maximum truth-seeking AI that tries to understand the nature of the universe.” He believes that this AI is unlikely to harm humans as “we are an interesting part of the universe.” He warned of the danger of an AI with the ability to manipulate public opinion, saying “It has the potential of civilizational destruction.”
Musk had also previously called for a six-month moratorium on developing systems more powerful than OpenAI’s GPT-4, citing society’s potential risks. He revealed that he had shared his AI safety concerns with former U.S. President Barack Obama when Obama was still in office and urged him to “encourage AI regulation.”
Musk also owns the social media platform Twitter, which he acquired for $44 billion last year. In his interview with Fox News, Musk said he recently valued Twitter at “less than half” of its purchase price.
About the Company
OpenAI is a research laboratory based in San Francisco founded in 2015 that focuses on artificial intelligence (AI). It is supported and funded by Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, as well as several other partners and investors. Its mission is to “advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return.” OpenAI is owned and managed by its founders, who include figures such as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, tech investor Peter Thiel, and Y Combinator president Sam Altman.
About the Person
Elon Musk is a South African-born American entrepreneur and investor best known as the co-founder and CEO of Tesla Motors, a electric vehicle manufacturer. Musk is also the founder of the aerospace company SpaceX and has aspirations for human space exploration. He serves as the chairman and lead designer at SpaceX and also founded The Boring Company and Neuralink, two knowledge-sharing businesses, and OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research laboratory.
Musk is also known for his major influence and activity on social media, particularly his active presence on Twitter, where he is the world’s most followed person. Musk’s ultimate mission is to reduce the risk of human extinction by creating a self-sustaining human settlement on Mars and advancing sustainable energy.
