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Elon Musk has taken legal action against OpenAI, alleging the company has veered off its founding mission in favor of profit-driven motives under its partnership with Microsoft.

The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, argues OpenAI has transitioned into a “closed-source de facto subsidiary of the largest technology company in the world: Microsoft,” significantly straying from its original commitment to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the betterment of humanity. Musk, who was instrumental in the formation of OpenAI and now operates his own AI venture, xAI, criticizes the company for prioritizing financial gains over its humanitarian objectives.

Musk’s legal complaint sheds light on an initial agreement made in 2015 between himself, Sam Altman, and Greg Brockman, which emphasized OpenAI’s role as a nonprofit entity dedicated to open-source AGI development for public benefit. This foundational principle, Musk claims, was reiterated in multiple discussions, affirming a collective commitment to transparency and accessibility. However, the introduction of GPT-4 marked a significant departure from these values, with OpenAI choosing not to disclose the model’s internal workings, a decision Musk attributes to “the proprietary commercial interests of Microsoft.”

The lawsuit further claims that GPT-4, as an early iteration of AGI, should not be encompassed by Microsoft’s licensing agreement, which was originally limited to pre-AGI technologies. It also points to governance issues within OpenAI, particularly changes to the board in November, which saw Altman’s temporary removal as CEO. According to Musk, this upheaval was a strategic move by Altman and Brockman, manipulating Microsoft’s influence to orchestrate a board resignation spree, ultimately facilitating Altman’s reinstatement and the formation of a new board “hand-picked by Mr. Altman and blessed by Microsoft.”

OpenAi and Microsoft have not commented on the lawsuit, more to come.