OpenAI co-founder John Schulman joins rival Anthropic, highlighting competitive AI landscape; Elon Musk files new lawsuit against OpenAI.
OpenAI co-founder John Schulman has left the company to join its rival, Anthropic. Schulman announced his decision on August 5 via X, “This choice stems from my desire to deepen my focus on AI alignment, and to start a new chapter of my career where I can return to hands-on technical work,”. His departure follows a pattern of high-profile exits from OpenAI, including co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever in May and Andrej Karpathy earlier this year. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, thanked Schulman for his contributions, highlighting the impact of his work on the company’s success.
Schulman’s move to Anthropic, a company founded by former OpenAI employees, underscores the competitive landscape in AI development. Anthropic has been developing its own AI models, positioning itself as a formidable competitor to OpenAI. Schulman’s shift may prompt speculation about OpenAI’s future direction, given his crucial role in the company’s achievements. The AI community is watching closely as these changes unfold, potentially influencing the industry’s dynamics.
In a related development, Elon Musk, another OpenAI co-founder, has filed a new lawsuit against OpenAI in federal court in Northern California. Musk alleges that OpenAI’s leadership misled him about the organization’s goals, inducing him to co-found the company under false pretenses. He claims OpenAI has shifted from its initial humanitarian mission to a commercial focus. This lawsuit marks another chapter in the ongoing legal battles between Musk and OpenAI, highlighting the tensions within the AI sector.
