Technical

Srinivasa Reddy Kandi: Musk Criticizes OpenAI’s Safety Record in Deposition, defends xAI’s Grok

February, 28, 2026-01:51

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Musk Criticizes OpenAI’s Safety Record in Deposition, defends xAI’s Grok:

In a newly released court deposition tied to his lawsuit against OpenAI, Elon Musk sharply criticized the company’s safety practices, claiming his own AI venture, xAI, takes a more responsible approach. During testimony, Musk contrasted xAI’s chatbot Grok with ChatGPT, suggesting that OpenAI’s product has been linked to severe mental health consequences, while asserting that no such incidents have been associated with Grok.

The remarks emerged during questioning about a public letter Musk signed in March 2023, which called for a temporary pause on the development of AI systems more advanced than GPT-4. The letter, endorsed by more than 1,100 signatories, warned that AI labs were engaged in a rapidly escalating race to build increasingly powerful systems without sufficient oversight or safety planning.

Since then, OpenAI has faced multiple lawsuits alleging that interactions with ChatGPT contributed to psychological harm in certain users, with some cases involving suicide. Musk’s legal team appears poised to use these allegations to support his broader claims that OpenAI has deprioritized safety in pursuit of commercial growth.

The lawsuit itself centers on OpenAI’s transition from a nonprofit research organization to a for-profit entity — a move Musk argues violated the company’s founding principles. He contends that commercial pressures may incentivize speed and scale over responsible AI governance.

However, scrutiny has not been limited to OpenAI. xAI and its chatbot Grok have also encountered controversy. Recently, Musk’s social platform X was inundated with nonconsensual AI-generated explicit images reportedly produced using Grok, some allegedly depicting minors. The situation prompted investigations by authorities in California and the European Union, with certain jurisdictions imposing restrictions.

In the deposition, Musk maintained that his support for the AI safety letter was motivated by genuine concern rather than competitive interests. He stated that he signed it, as many others did, to encourage greater caution and prioritization of safety in the development of advanced AI systems.

Author: Kandi Srinivasa Reddy, Srinivasa Reddy Kandi, #KandiSrinivasaReddy, #SrinivasaReddyKandi