Elon Musk
After leaving in 2018, Musk said he was uncomfortable with the profit-driven direction the company was taking under the stewardship of CEO Sam Altman. Image Credit: Gulf News archives

Washington: Elon Musk has again asked a US court to stop ChatGPT-maker OpenAI from converting into a for-profit enterprise, CNBC reported Saturday.

Attorneys representing the billionaire and his AI startup, xAI, filed the injunction Friday, the financial news site reported.

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The injunction also requests that OpenAI be stopped from allegedly barring its investors from funding competing companies.

The move is the latest development in a business feud between OpenAI and Musk, who co-founded the group in 2015 but has since left.

OpenAI has seen its profile skyrocket over recent years as it has become a star player in the growing field of artificial intelligence.

Musk has alleged that OpenAI bars its investors from making investments in rivals - which would put his own startup at a disadvantage in a sector where billions of dollars are at stake.

OpenAI was founded as a non-profit and has since switched to a "capped" for-profit enterprise.

It is currently seeking to become a for-profit public benefit corporation, which could attract more investment.

After leaving in 2018, Musk said he was uncomfortable with the profit-driven direction the company was taking under the stewardship of CEO Sam Altman.

He filed a lawsuit against the company in March, accusing it of breaking its original non-profit mission to make AI research available to all.

OpenAI argues that Musk's lawsuit, as well as his embrace of open source development for AI, is little more than a case of sour grapes after leaving the company.