“It mostly is about control,” said Ben Goertzel, often referred to as the ‘Father of AGI,’ in exclusive responses to Benzinga via email.
A Power Struggle In Plain Sight
Both Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are deeply invested in AGI. But what’s playing out, Goertzel suggests, has “the feel of two billionaires fighting over who gets to be the guy who built AGI.”
Notably absent, he points out, is any sustained public debate on core issues like openness, governance, or safety trade-offs. Those concerns exist—but largely “in the background,” while the foreground is dominated by competition for influence.
Safety—Or Strategy?
That doesn’t mean safety concerns aren’t real.
But they are increasingly being “weaponized for a personal contest,” or, at times, a “personal contest dressed up in the language of real concerns.”
The result is a debate that looks principled on the surface—but is harder to separate from strategic positioning underneath.
No Easy Off-Ramp
The conflict may also be structurally difficult to unwind.
If both sides believe they are the right stewards of AGI, the disagreement naturally intensifies. As Goertzel puts it, if you see yourself as the “destined caretaker” of the most important technology in history, then “anyone else occupying that seat is by definition wrong.”
That leaves little room for compromise—and no clear off-ramp.
For observers, the takeaway is shifting. The AI race is no longer just about innovation or safety frameworks.
It’s increasingly about who gets to build—and ultimately control—what comes next.
Image Courtesy SingularityNET
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