In a dramatic turn of events, OpenAI has fired back at Elon Musk, who recently filed a lawsuit against the company for allegedly prioritizing profit over its original nonprofit mission. The company published several emails from Musk dating back to the early days of OpenAI, revealing his support for transforming the organization into a for-profit entity. Musk argued in the emails that OpenAI needed to generate significant revenue to fund its ambitious AI projects, suggesting a $1 billion funding commitment to ensure the company's survival.

Despite Musk's promises, OpenAI claims that he never followed through on his financial commitments, providing only $45 million in funding while other donors raised $90 million. The company also rejected Musk's proposal for Tesla to acquire OpenAI, leading to Musk's departure from the organization in 2018. OpenAI executives, including CEO Sam Altman, ultimately decided to form a for-profit entity within the company, which quickly skyrocketed in value to $90 billion with the help of a partnership with Microsoft.

Musk's lawsuit alleges that OpenAI's partnership with Microsoft violated the company's founding charter, accusing Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman of breaching their contract. Musk is seeking a jury trial and demanding that the company and its executives repay any profits they received from the business. OpenAI, however, maintains that it has not strayed from its original mission to develop AI technology for the public good, dismissing Musk's claims as baseless.

The escalating feud between Musk and OpenAI highlights the ongoing tensions within the AI industry, as companies grapple with the ethical implications of developing advanced technology. Despite their past collaboration, Musk's lawsuit and OpenAI's response have exposed deep rifts in their relationship, with both parties now locked in a legal battle over the future of artificial intelligence.