OpenAI sent letters on Monday to the attorneys general of California and Delaware, urging an investigation into what it described as "unlawful and anti-competitive conduct" by Elon Musk and his associates. The move comes as a closely watched trial between the two parties is set to begin.
In the letter, OpenAI's head of strategy, Jason Kwon, alleged that Musk has been attempting to undermine OpenAI through various "attacks," including what he referred to as "coordinated actions" with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman co-founded OpenAI in 2015 alongside several researchers and executives as a nonprofit organization. Musk left the company in 2018 after failing to persuade leadership to merge OpenAI with Tesla Motors. He later founded xAI and, in 2024, sued OpenAI, claiming he was "manipulated" and "deceived" during the company's transition to a for-profit entity.
Jury selection for the trial is expected to begin on April 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Kwon stated in the letter that Musk's actions could hinder OpenAI's efforts to advance artificial general intelligence (AGI). He wrote:
"The purpose of these attacks is to wrest control over the future of AGI away from those legally bound to ensure it benefits all of humanity and place it in the hands of a competitor devoid of mission-driven principles and unwilling to uphold safety responsibilities."
OpenAI has previously expressed similar concerns. In January, the company wrote to investors and banking partners, warning that as Musk's lawsuit against the AI lab moves toward trial, he is expected to make "deliberately exaggerated, attention-seeking statements."
In that earlier letter, OpenAI indicated that Musk would likely make remarks that "do not align with reality" and are "part of his long-standing pattern of harassment tactics."
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