Part 4/8:

Contentions boiled over, and Musk announced his withdrawal, citing conflicts of interest and a fundamental clash in vision. This marked the beginning of a transformation in OpenAI’s structure and control.

The For-Profit Shift: A Controversial Evolution

After Musk's departure, the financial pressures on OpenAI escalated, necessitating the creation of a for-profit subsidiary while retaining the nonprofit façade. This move aimed to generate sustainable funding for ambitious AI research but raised ethical questions about the potential compromises on its original mission. By 2019, crucial partnerships emerged, notably with Microsoft, which invested billions into OpenAI under conditions that prevented potential misuse of AGI technology.