In July 2022, Elon Musk made headlines when he announced the founding of OpenAI, a research lab dedicated to developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology with the aim of protecting humanity from the potential dangers of runaway AI. This announcement came a year after Google acquired DeepMind, a British AI company. This begs the question: Does Elon Musk own DeepMind?

The answer is no. Musk does not own DeepMind. Google acquired DeepMind in 2014 for a reported $400 million. The company has since become a leader in the field of AI research and development, with a team of over 700 experts in the field. Google has invested heavily in DeepMind, giving it access to vast amounts of data and resources.

Musk, however, has been involved in the development of AI technology since before the acquisition of DeepMind. He has long been a vocal advocate for the responsible development of AI, and has been a vocal critic of Google’s AI efforts. In 2015, he founded OpenAI, a research lab dedicated to developing AI technology with the aim of protecting humanity from the potential dangers of runaway AI.

OpenAI has since become a leader in the field of AI research and development, with a team of over 200 experts in the field. The lab has received funding from a number of investors, including Musk himself. OpenAI is focused on developing safe and beneficial AI, and has released a number of open source tools and technologies to help developers create AI applications.

So, while Musk does not own DeepMind, he is certainly involved in the development of AI technology. His involvement in OpenAI is a testament to his commitment to the responsible development of AI, and his desire to protect humanity from the potential dangers of runaway AI.