Everyone nowadays is aware of the ongoing Musk v. Altman's trial over the initiative of OpenAI during its launch, with internal Microsoft emails from 2018 presented during the trial have revealed the company’s early doubts about OpenAI and concerns that the startup could partner with Amazon instead.
On May 7, the emails presented in the court underscored skepticism among Microsoft executives regarding OpenAI’s progress toward artificial general intelligence (AGI).
Several reports suggested Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella questioned whether OpenAI’s research could assist Microsoft gain an advantage in AI.
At the time, the ChatGPT manufacturer was largely focused on game-playing AI systems, while Microsoft executives debated whether the company’s ambitions justified deeper investment and cloud support.
However, OpenAI still held leverage because it needed a major computing power, and Microsoft feared losing the partnership to Amazon.
The courtroom disclosures come as the legal battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman continues in Oakland.
Musk argues OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit mission, while the company stated the lawsuit is aimed at slowing its growth in favor of Musk’s AI company, xAI.
Despite the early doubts, the American tech giant later heavily invested into OpenAI and expanded its partnership through Azure cloud infrastructure, making the startup central to Microsoft’s broader AI strategy.
