Open AI has asked Meta to hand over evidence related to any coordinated plans with Elon Musk and xAI to acquire or invest in the ChatGPT-maker.
The request was disclosed in a court filing Thursday as part of Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against Open AI. Lawyers for the company said they subpoenaed Meta in June for documents tied to Musk’s unsolicited $97 billion bid to buy Open AI in February, a bid the start-up ultimately rejected.
According to the filing, Musk communicated with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg about xAI’s proposal, including potential financing or investment arrangements. Meta objected to OpenAI’s subpoena in July, but OpenAI is now seeking a court order to obtain those documents. It is also asking for Meta’s records tied to any “actual or potential restructuring or recapitalization” of OpenAI, the central issue in Musk’s case.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone pointed to a section of OpenAI’s filing that notes neither Meta nor Zuckerberg signed Musk’s letter of intent. Meta declined further comment, while OpenAI and Musk’s legal team have yet to respond.
The filing comes as Meta doubles down on its own AI ambitions. The company recently reorganized its AI unit into Meta Superintelligence Labs and poached several top OpenAI researchers, including ChatGPT co-creator Shengjia Zhao. It also invested $14 billion in Scale AI and has approached other labs about potential acquisitions.
Musk’s lawsuit challenges OpenAI’s restructuring into a public benefit corporation, which allows it to attract outside investors and potentially go public. Musk, an OpenAI cofounder, argues the shift violates its founding mission. Meta, meanwhile, has asked the court to reject OpenAI’s evidence request, saying Musk and xAI can provide relevant documents themselves.
While it remains unclear how far talks went between Musk and Zuckerberg, the filing underscores how deeply Open Ai’s rise has unsettled rivals across Silicon Valley.
