A group of former OpenAI employees have filed a legal brief supporting Elon Musk’s lawsuit to prevent OpenAI from changing its structure, marking a significant turn in the ongoing dispute about the future direction of the artificial intelligence company.
The legal challenge was filed on April 11, 2025, as a dozen ex-OpenAI employees expressed concerns over the potential loss of the non-profit status that the company originally held.
Musk’s lawsuit, which also targets OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman, argues that the company is deviating from its foundational mission to develop AI for the benefit of humanity, rather than for corporate profit. OpenAI and Altman have denied these allegations.
In their court filing, the former employees, who held technical and leadership roles at OpenAI, argued that removing the nonprofit’s controlling role would “fundamentally violate” the organization’s original mission, since it would lose control over the for-profit AI development entity.
They further emphasized that the nonprofit structure was essential for OpenAI’s strategy and recruitment, as many employees were initially drawn to the company by its mission.
According to Reuters, OpenAI, however, has defended the proposed restructuring, claiming that it needs to remove the nonprofit’s controlling role in order to secure investor funding.
According to the company, while the nonprofit will retain a stake in OpenAI, the shift will provide it with significant resources that will help it carry out its mission more effectively. OpenAI has stated, “Our Board has been very clear: our nonprofit isn’t going anywhere and our mission will remain the same.”
The dispute traces back to 2015 when Musk and Altman co-founded OpenAI, with Musk leaving before the company became a major player in the AI sector. Musk’s opposition to the change in structure has led to the current lawsuit, with a jury trial expected to begin in the spring of next year.
In addition to the lawsuit, Musk has also launched his own AI company, xAI, in 2023. Altman has accused Musk of trying to slow the progress of a competitor.
OpenAI, meanwhile, is under pressure from investors to finalize its restructuring plans. The company needs to complete its transition by the end of the year in order to secure a $40 billion fundraising round.
