Elon Musk reportedly tried and failed to take over OpenAI in 2018

Now here’s a path not taken: according to a new report from Semafor, Elon Musk tried — and failed — to take over ChatGPT creator OpenAI in 2018.

Musk was part of a small group that founded the AI lab in 2015 as a nonprofit, intending the firm to share research for the wider benefit of society. But, says Semafor, by early 2018 Musk was worried the company was falling behind Google. He reportedly offered to take direct control of OpenAI and run it himself but was rejected by other OpenAI founders including Sam Altman, now the firm’s CEO, and Greg Brockman, now its president.

Crucially, when Musk walked away from the company — he resigned from its board in 2018 citing a conflict of interest with his work at Tesla — Semafor says he also...

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