OpenAI Subpoenas Meta, Seeks Information on Potential Coordination with Musk and XAI

San Francisco: OpenAI has requested Meta (formerly Facebook) through the court to provide information regarding any coordinated plans or investments with Elon Musk and his company XAI. This request comes as part of Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI.

OpenAI’s lawyers stated that in June, they had requested documents and communications from Meta concerning Musk’s unexpected $76 billion proposal. In February, Musk had expressed interest in acquiring OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, but OpenAI rejected his offer. OpenAI claims that Musk communicated with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding various aspects of XAI’s proposal, particularly concerning “potential financing or investment.”

Initially, Meta rejected OpenAI’s request in July. OpenAI is now seeking to obtain Meta’s documents and communications through the court. Additionally, OpenAI wants any documents or messages from Meta that may relate to any actual or potential restructuring or revaluation of OpenAI. Musk’s lawsuit primarily centers on OpenAI’s decision to convert its for-profit branch into a public benefit corporation. Musk claims this conversion violates OpenAI’s original founding mission.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone stated that neither Meta nor Zuckerberg signed Musk’s proposal. Meta has declined to provide further comments. OpenAI and Musk’s legal teams have not yet responded to TechCrunch’s request for comment.

Background: In 2023, Meta heavily invested in developing AI models and competitive models against OpenAI’s GPT-4. Recently, Zuckerberg recruited several top OpenAI researchers to Meta, including Shengjia Zhao, co-creator of ChatGPT. Meta has invested $14 billion in Scale AI and has engaged in acquisition discussions with other AI labs.

Although the exact nature of discussions between Musk and Zuckerberg is unclear, this potential coordination highlights how seriously OpenAI is being viewed as a threat. Musk had stated two years ago that he would personally face Zuckerberg in a “cage match,” which ultimately did not happen.

OpenAI’s lawsuit raises questions about Musk’s restructuring of OpenAI and efforts to attract investment. Meta claims that the information requested by OpenAI is not relevant and that Musk and XAI can provide the necessary details themselves.