Just a few days back, we talked about Elon Musk accusing OpenAI of straying from its original mission, alleging a profit-first approach. Well, now Musk is turning heads again by announcing that his AI startup xAI is about to unleash its ChatGPT rival, “Grok,” into the open-source world this week.
This week, @xAI will open source Grok
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 11, 2024
This move comes after Musk’s repeated warnings about big tech companies, like Google, exploiting technology for profit. In contrast, some heavyweights like Meta advocate for an open-source approach, allowing researchers and companies to tap into the technology’s inner workings for fresh innovations.
In December, Meta, IBM, and a bunch of startups formed an alliance advocating for a more collaborative AI landscape. Their concern? That regulators might clamp down on this open method. On the flip side, OpenAI and Google prefer a more secretive approach, aiming to shield their tech from misuse while raking in profits to cover the hefty computing costs behind their cutting-edge tools.
Interestingly, Musk added a quirky twist by suggesting he’d drop his lawsuit if OpenAI simply changed its name to “ClosedAI.”
Change your name
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 6, 2024
Now, with Grok about to go open-source, the stage is set for a clash of philosophies in the AI realm. Will transparency or secrecy win the day? What do you think?
