San Francisco, California — OpenAI has requested that Meta provide evidence regarding any possible collaboration with Elon Musk and xAI concerning the acquisition or investment in the company behind ChatGPT. This development was disclosed in a brief filed Thursday during Musk’s ongoing legal battle against OpenAI.
The request stems from a subpoena issued to Meta in June for documentation related to its potential role in Musk’s unsolicited $97 billion proposal to acquire OpenAI, made public in February. While OpenAI ultimately rejected Musk’s bid, the precise existence of any documents pertinent to this matter is still uncertain, according to the filing.
OpenAI’s attorneys indicated that they have uncovered communications between Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding discussions related to xAI’s interest in acquiring OpenAI. These conversations reportedly included deliberations on financing arrangements and possible investments.
In response to the initial subpoena issued in July, Meta objected, prompting OpenAI’s legal team to seek a court order to compel compliance. OpenAI is also requesting any documents and communications from Meta pertaining to potential restructuring or recapitalization of their organization, which is a focal point in Musk’s lawsuit.
Andy Stone, a spokesperson for Meta, highlighted that neither Zuckerberg nor Meta signed Musk’s letter of intent. Meta has not provided further comments on the ongoing legal proceedings, and representatives for OpenAI and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
Meanwhile, while OpenAI navigates its legal disputes with Musk, Meta has been heavily investing in its AI initiatives. Recent filings in another ongoing case revealed that Meta has been striving to develop AI models capable of surpassing OpenAI’s GPT-4. However, reports suggest that by early 2025, Meta’s AI efforts were lagging behind industry standards, causing frustration for Zuckerberg.
In recent months, Zuckerberg has strategically recruited several top AI researchers from OpenAI, including Shengjia Zhao, a co-creator of ChatGPT. Zhao is now leading projects at Meta’s newly established AI division, Meta Superintelligence Labs. Additionally, Meta has invested $14 billion in Scale AI and has reportedly explored acquisition opportunities with various AI labs.
The potential collaboration between Musk and Zuckerberg illustrates the competitive landscape surrounding OpenAI and highlights the growing importance of artificial intelligence. Despite their tumultuous history, including Musk’s joking remark about fighting Zuckerberg in a cage match, the urgency of the AI sector may have prompted these two tech titans to reconsider their past differences.
The recent court filing is part of a broader lawsuit initiated by Musk, which challenges OpenAI’s decision to transform its for-profit division into a public benefit corporation. This conversion is essential for attracting investment and potentially taking the company public. However, Musk, a cofounder and early investor in OpenAI, argues that this restructuring deviates from the startup’s original mission.
Meta’s legal representation has asked the court to dismiss OpenAI’s request for evidence, asserting that Musk and xAI are capable of supplying relevant information. They contend that Meta’s internal discussions regarding OpenAI’s restructuring are not pertinent to the ongoing case.
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