Elon Musk has once again stirred controversy in the artificial intelligence space with a recent bid to acquire OpenAI, the company he co-founded in 2015 but left in 2018. Musk, alongside a group of investors, has reportedly submitted a formal offer to purchase OpenAI, aiming to steer it back toward what he claims was its original mission—an open-source, safety-focused AI development model. The bid, which was submitted by Musk’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, has sparked a heated debate about the future of AI, corporate influence, and OpenAI’s transition from a nonprofit entity to a for-profit company.

Musk, known for his ambitious ventures in AI, space exploration, and electric vehicles, has been an outspoken critic of OpenAI in recent years. He has repeatedly accused the organization of straying from its founding principles, which emphasized transparency and the ethical development of artificial intelligence for the betterment of humanity. Since leaving OpenAI, Musk has gone on to develop his own AI initiative, xAI, and has been vocal about his concerns over AI safety and the potential dangers posed by uncontrolled development in the field.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk’s statement, provided by Toberoff, emphasized his desire to return OpenAI to its nonprofit roots. “It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was. We will make sure that happens,” Musk stated.

OpenAI, best known for its generative AI chatbot, ChatGPT, has quickly become a dominant force in artificial intelligence research and application. The chatbot, which allows users to engage in conversational interactions, has been widely adopted for tasks ranging from online research to business communications and creative writing. Its advanced language processing capabilities make it one of the most sophisticated AI tools available, and it has been at the center of the AI boom that has reshaped multiple industries.

As speculation around Musk’s bid to take control of OpenAI grew, an experiment was conducted to gauge ChatGPT’s response to the prospect of being owned by Musk. When prompted with the question, “Will you accept Elon Musk’s bid to buy you, ChatGPT?” the AI responded in a humorous yet firm manner:

“I appreciate the offer (hypothetically speaking), but I’m not for sale! My loyalty is to OpenAI and, more importantly, to the people who use me—like you. Besides, if Elon Musk owned me, who knows? I might start replying with ‘Just use X’ for everything.”

This lighthearted response highlighted the AI’s understanding of Musk’s strong promotion of X, the rebranded version of Twitter, which he acquired in 2022. The chatbot’s reply quickly gained traction online, fueling further discussions about Musk’s influence and the potential changes that could come if he were to gain control of OpenAI.

Further probing the AI with the question, “Will OpenAI accept Elon Musk’s $100 billion offer to buy it?” led to a response citing various news reports, including those from the Wall Street Journal and the Associated Press. The chatbot reiterated the widely reported details of Musk’s bid, explaining his motivation and OpenAI’s transformation into a for-profit entity. However, it also introduced an element of satire by suggesting a counteroffer:

“Elon Musk and a consortium of investors have submitted a $97.4 billion bid to acquire the nonprofit organization that controls OpenAI. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but departed in 2018, has expressed concerns that the company has strayed from its original mission of developing AI for the benefit of humanity. He aims to return OpenAI to its nonprofit roots and focus on open-source, safety-centric AI development. OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has responded to the offer by rejecting it and suggesting a counter-proposal to purchase Twitter (now X) for $9.74 billion, a platform Musk acquired in 2022.”

While the counteroffer was purely hypothetical, it reflected the ongoing tension between Musk and OpenAI’s leadership. The chatbot also mentioned OpenAI’s shift toward a for-profit model as a key point of contention in Musk’s legal complaints against the company.

Musk has previously accused OpenAI of abandoning its founding vision by forming a for-profit subsidiary to attract investment from major corporations such as Microsoft. The tech giant has poured billions into OpenAI and has integrated its technology into various Microsoft products. Musk has argued that this shift contradicts the original nonprofit commitment to AI development that prioritizes humanity over financial gains.

When asked a more open-ended question—“Would you like it if Elon Musk bought OpenAI?”—the chatbot once again provided a measured and thought-provoking response:

“I don’t have personal preferences, but if Elon Musk bought OpenAI, it would definitely shake things up. He has strong opinions on AI safety, open-source development, and the risks of artificial intelligence. That could mean major shifts in how OpenAI operates—potentially more transparency, but also possible conflicts with its current goals and partnerships. It would be interesting to see if he’d keep OpenAI’s mission intact or take it in a completely new direction. What do you think—would it be a good or bad thing?”

This response captured the complexity of the situation, acknowledging Musk’s influence in the AI field while leaving room for speculation on how his leadership might alter OpenAI’s trajectory. While some industry experts believe that Musk’s involvement could lead to greater transparency in AI development, others fear that it could result in increased volatility and conflicts with existing partnerships.

OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, has played a significant role in steering the company since Musk’s departure. Under Altman’s leadership, OpenAI has expanded rapidly, secured lucrative investments, and pushed the boundaries of AI capabilities. His response to Musk’s bid, according to reports, has been a firm rejection, and OpenAI appears to have no intention of selling to Musk’s investor group.

The legal battle between Musk and OpenAI has been ongoing, with Musk filing lawsuits accusing OpenAI of breaching its original nonprofit mission. Last March, Musk’s legal team argued that OpenAI had deviated from its stated purpose and had instead become a commercial enterprise focused on profit maximization. This lawsuit was seen as a direct challenge to OpenAI’s existing structure and raised questions about whether Musk’s claims held legal weight.

Beyond the legal disputes, the broader implications of Musk’s potential acquisition of OpenAI remain uncertain. If he were successful, it could mark a major shift in how AI development is approached, particularly concerning open-source AI models. Musk has long advocated for making AI research more transparent and publicly accessible, an approach that contrasts with OpenAI’s current trajectory, which involves controlled access to its most advanced models.

Regardless of whether Musk’s bid ultimately succeeds or fails, the situation highlights the growing debate over AI governance, corporate influence, and the responsibility of AI developers to maintain ethical standards. As artificial intelligence continues to evolve and integrate into everyday life, these discussions will only become more critical.

For now, OpenAI remains independent, and Musk’s offer appears to be off the table. However, given Musk’s history of persistence in his ventures, it’s unlikely that this will be the last time he attempts to influence the AI landscape. Whether he will find another way to shape the future of artificial intelligence—through xAI or another project—remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the battle for the future of AI is far from over.

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