Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur behind SpaceX and Tesla, has reportedly cut off the access of OpenAI, his artificial intelligence research firm, to Twitter’s data. According to a report from the New York Times, Musk believed the $2 million per year that OpenAI was paying to license Twitter’s data to be insufficient.
The move comes nearly three years after Musk founded OpenAI in 2015 and left the company in 2018. At that time, he proposed taking sole control of the firm, but his proposal was rejected by his fellow co-founder, Sam Altman. Just weeks after OpenAI launched its ChatGPT AI chatbot in December 2022, it had its access to Twitter’s data revoked due to Musk’s decision.
In an interview with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, Musk discussed his idea of launching a new AI research project that he dubbed TruthGPT, or “maximum truth-seeking AI,” which would be used to understand the nature of the universe.
OpenAI had been using Twitter’s data to build its AI chatbot, and shortly after it was launched, Musk criticized it as being “too woke” and said that the tool was capable of lying. He also highlighted his concern about the responses that the bot had been producing for queries.
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) was involved in supplying OpenAI with the necessary GPU processors for their research. Earlier this month, Musk signed a letter calling for a six-month halt on artificial intelligence research and development.
Tesla, Musk’s electric car company, has been a major player in the development and use of machine learning and deep learning algorithms. Musk has also been investing large sums in a range of other AI companies and initiatives in recent years, in an effort to stay at the forefront of the industry.
Overall, it appears that Musk’s decision to cut OpenAI’s access to Twitter data was motivated, at least in part, by his concern that the AI research firm was becoming too “woke.” By taking corrective measures, he may be able to ensure that the firm’s research is more in line with his own goals and ideas. Ultimately, only time will tell how this move will affect the company and its research.
