[Viewpoint] Musk and Altman Lawsuit: Who Is the Evil One?

They, Too, Are Only Human Before Power
The Arrogance of Believing Only They Can Control AI Is Dangerous

Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and Larry Page would be perfect as the main cast in a future movie titled "The Lord of the Rings: The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Edition." Musk, who advocates for the nonprofit use of AI, described Altman, who holds an opposing view, by saying, "The ring of power can corrupt, and he holds that ring."

Recently, Musk filed a lawsuit against Altman, revealing traces of discussions on critical issues such as humanity's destruction or salvation among big tech executives. The two began exchanging emails in 2014, expressing concerns about the dangers of AI. They concluded that the emergence of disruptive technology was inevitable and that they themselves should be the ones to control it. Altman encouraged the wealthy Musk by saying, "If it’s going to happen anyway, it should be done by someone other than Google."

Thus, they founded OpenAI, and the initial version of the absolute ring named Chat GPT was born. Over time, Altman seemed to develop the idea that the ring should not be sealed but used. While Altman dreamed of gathering all the Earth's resources to build a paradise, Musk devised an ambitious plan to relocate humanity to Mars.

The significance of this lawsuit lies in the fact that their relationship has reached a critical crossroads. Musk filed a lawsuit demanding "the cessation of for-profit business and the conversion of AI technology to open source," and OpenAI immediately revealed that Musk "agreed to transform the company into a for-profit enterprise and attempted to merge OpenAI with Tesla to become its CEO."

Their shared belief that the ring must not fall into Google's hands might have been a good intention at the time. However, were Musk and Altman ultimately just ordinary humans who could not resist the temptation of power? The reality strikingly resembles the novel’s structure of Frodo and Sam protecting the ring from the demon Sauron, and Gollum becoming the ring’s servant. It is impossible to tell whether Sam in the novel is Sam Altman, or whether Musk is Gollum or Frodo.

The general consensus is that Musk’s chances of winning the lawsuit are low. However, regardless of the lawsuit’s outcome, if Musk secures an image as a defender of ethics, humanity’s future might flow somewhat more in line with his interests.

"Most tools useful to humans can also harm humans. But it is not the tool itself; it is through the power holders who abuse it," Guardian columnist Kenan Malik pointed out, emphasizing that we should worry not about the inherent dangers within AI but about the very few individuals who control it.

The hour of destiny is approaching, yet humans clutch the ring, unsure of what to do. Some interpret the matter as merely "an intriguing showdown among the world’s richest," but this seems like an attitude that deliberately ignores the limitations of those excluded from the debate, which is bitter.

In the novel, the ring was ultimately destroyed. However, it was not a decision made by the protagonist’s free will. After Frodo and Gollum failed to resist the ring’s demonic temptation, it ended up in Gollum’s hands and fell into the flames. It remains unclear who among Musk and Altman is good or evil, but by the time we can distinguish them, it might already be too late.

Yet, one unchanging truth remains: all humans are vulnerable before power. The control over AI and the authority to decide the future should belong to the human community, but ordinary people watch precariously as these two fight fiercely, each claiming to be the only one qualified to hold the ring.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.