Elon Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI has given insight into the startup’s beginnings, revealing casual email exchanges between Musk and Sam Altman that led to its creation. In 2015, Altman pitched Musk the idea of a “Manhattan Project for AI” to develop safe artificial intelligence and counter Google’s dominance. Musk agreed, setting the stage for OpenAI’s ambitious mission. Now, Musk claims OpenAI has deviated from its nonprofit roots, citing its deep ties with Microsoft, which he labels a “de facto merger.” He argues that the company has shifted focus from global safety to profit-driven goals. The emails, highlighted in Musk’s amended lawsuit, paint a picture of a bold vision but also foreshadow tensions that would eventually lead Musk to leave the board in 2018. Is OpenAI’s evolution a natural progression or a betrayal of its original mission? [This document is from Schobinger v. Twitter (2024).] Compilation by Internal Tech Emails on X