Elon Musk has filed a new lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, reigniting a legal battle over the direction and management of the artificial intelligence company. The lawsuit, filed on Monday in federal court in Northern California, accuses OpenAI of abandoning its original nonprofit mission by reserving its most advanced AI technology for private customers. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015, alleges that he was “betrayed by Altman and his accomplices,” with the degree of deceit described as being of “Shakespearean proportions.” The 83-page lawsuit claims that OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft altered the company’s original mission, engaging in “rampant self-dealing” and “systematically draining the non-profit of its valuable technology and personnel.

In response to Musk’s original allegations, OpenAI has previously labeled his claims as “incoherent” and “frivolous,” arguing in court filings that the case should be dismissed.

The company published several emails from Musk from OpenAI’s early days, which suggested he was aware of the need for large sums of money to support the company’s AI ventures, contradicting his lawsuit’s assertions.

Musk reignites legal battle

Musk is not alone in his scrutiny of OpenAI.

The Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission have also shown interest, probing whether OpenAI investors were misled. Several high-profile safety leaders from OpenAI have publicly critiqued the company’s focus on quickly launching new products, allegedly at the expense of safety. The new lawsuit seeks the establishment of a constructive trust on the defendants’ gains and assets traceable to Musk’s contributions and a judicial determination that OpenAI’s license to Microsoft is null and void.

The tech community is closely watching the developments, given the significant implications for the future of artificial intelligence governance and ethics.