OpenAI is suing Elon Musk for unfair competition and interfering with its business relationships with investors and customers, escalating a legal battle between the ChatGPT maker and the billionaire who helped bankroll the artificial intelligence startup a decade ago.

OpenAI defends its shift to a for-profit model, citing funding needs and mission alignment, as Musk’s lawsuit threatens its future ahead of a 2026 trial.

OpenAI was co-founded by Musk and Altman in 2015. Musk left OpenAI in 2018 and now alleges that the company has abandoned its founding mission to develop AI for the benefit of humanity, and is therefore in breach of contract. He first launched his suit in early 2024, before dropping it in June and re-filing in August last year.