Tech billionaire and xAI founder Elon Musk reacted to an AI researcher’s comment that she does not trust OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to lead the artificial general intelligence (AGI) project.
What Happened: Musk, who has been a vocal critic of Altman as well as OpenAI, was surprised when the researcher, Jeffrey Ladish, expressed sharp criticism directed at Altman.
“I don’t trust Sam Altman to lead an AGI project. I think he’s a deeply untrustworthy individual, low in integrity and high in power seeking.”
Ladish had some choice words of criticism for Altman, alleging he lies and manipulates people.
“I know people who have worked with him. He lies to people, he says things to your face and says another thing behind your back.”
While it’s not exactly clear what concerns OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, Ilya Sutskever, and former board member Helen Toner had with Altman, reports suggest it could be “governance” issues.
“He is extremely good at politics. He schemes to outmaneuver people within his own companies and projects.”
This comes at a time when Altman has been reinstated as a board member, and he has apologized for how he dealt with the drama surrounding his shock ouster in November. Altman did drop a nugget of information that AGI enthusiasts have been waiting for. In response to a “credible insider” named Jimmy Apples – which could very well be a pseudonym – Altman said “it will be worth the wait.”
Now with Altman cementing his position at OpenAI as its board member as well as the CEO, Ladish has concerns about his leadership while the company works on something as impactful as AGI.
“This is not the kind of person who can be trusted to lead a project that will shape the entire world and the entire future.”
Why It Matters: Musk’s criticism of OpenAI and Altman has centered around the company’s refusal to open-source its AI technologies. He alleged that this is a violation of the founding principles of the AI startup. Musk even claimed that OpenAI is “refining AGI” to “maximize” profits for its biggest investor, Microsoft Corp. While he has filed a lawsuit as well, his reaction to Ladish’s criticism suggests even he is taken aback by her distrust for Altman.
