NEW DELHI– OpenAI has asked a U.S. court to compel Meta to hand over documents that could reveal whether the company coordinated with Elon Musk and his AI venture, xAI, in connection with a proposed $97 billion takeover bid earlier this year.
The request, disclosed in a legal brief filed in Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI, shows that the ChatGPT-maker’s lawyers first issued a subpoena to Meta in June. They are now asking the court to enforce it, arguing that Meta may have discussed financing or investment arrangements with Musk during his February 2025 attempt to acquire the company — an offer OpenAI ultimately rejected.
OpenAI’s legal team alleges that Musk communicated directly with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the proposed acquisition. Meta, however, opposed the subpoena in July, prompting OpenAI to seek judicial intervention. If obtained, any such evidence could become part of OpenAI’s defense strategy in Musk’s broader legal campaign against the company.
The filings also shed light on Meta’s own AI ambitions. In 2023, executives inside Meta reportedly raced to build an advanced model capable of outperforming OpenAI’s GPT-4. By early 2025, however, the company’s models had fallen short of industry benchmarks, leading to frustration within the leadership ranks. In response, Meta intensified recruitment efforts, successfully hiring several researchers away from OpenAI.
The legal clash comes as OpenAI continues to expand its global footprint. Just last week, the company confirmed it will open its first India office in New Delhi and announced plans for an Education Summit this month, followed by a Developer Day later this year. CEO Sam Altman described India as a future global leader in artificial intelligence, citing its strong developer ecosystem, abundant tech talent, and government backing through the IndiaAI Mission.
The court has not yet ruled on OpenAI’s request regarding Meta, leaving open the possibility of a deeper examination into whether two of Silicon Valley’s biggest players coordinated in Musk’s high-profile takeover attempt. (Source: IANS)
