OpenAI Legal Team Questions Meta’s Role in Elon Musk’s $97 Billion Acquisition Bid

OpenAI has asked Meta to provide evidence concerning any collaboration with Elon Musk and xAI related to the proposed acquisition or investment in the company behind ChatGPT.

This request was revealed in a filing made public on Thursday as part of Elon Musk’s ongoing legal dispute with OpenAI. OpenAI’s attorneys indicated they subpoenaed Meta in June to explore its potential involvement in Musk’s unsolicited $97 billion offer to acquire the startup back in February. The filing does not specify whether such documents and communications exist.

OpenAI’s legal team asserts that Musk had discussions with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg about xAI’s efforts to acquire the ChatGPT developer, including conversations about “potential financing arrangements or investments.”

While Meta contested OpenAI’s initial subpoena in July, OpenAI’s lawyers are now pushing for a court order to obtain this evidence. Additionally, OpenAI is seeking any documents and communications from Meta related to “any actual or potential restructuring or recapitalization of OpenAI,” which is central to Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI.

In the midst of OpenAI’s legal battles with Musk, Meta has significantly increased its investments in developing advanced AI models. This includes hiring several leading researchers from OpenAI, such as Shengjia Zhao, a co-creator of ChatGPT, who is now leading research at Meta’s new AI division, Meta Superintelligence Labs. Furthermore, Meta has invested $14 billion in Scale AI and has sought potential acquisition deals with various other AI labs.

Meta’s legal team has urged the court to reject OpenAI’s evidence request, claiming that Musk and xAI can provide any necessary information. They also maintain that Meta’s internal discussions regarding OpenAI’s restructuring and recapitalization are irrelevant to the current case.

This story is still developing… Please check back for updates.