---
title: "Microsoft Invests $1 Billion in Elon Musk-Founded OpenAI"
description: "Microsoft just invested $1 billion into OpenAI, which will now try to develop artificial general intelligence for Microsoft's cloud services."
date: "2019-07-22"
modified: "2019-07-22"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/microsoft-billion-openai"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
  - "Elon Musk"
  - "Future Society"
  - "OpenAI"
  - "The Industrialists"
tags:
  - "artificial intelligence"
  - "microsoft"
  - "OpenAI"
  - "the digest"
---

# Microsoft Invests $1 Billion in Elon Musk-Founded OpenAI

![Microsoft just invested $1 billion into OpenAI, which will now try to develop artificial general intelligence for Microsoft's cloud services.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/microsoft-billion-openai.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## Big Payout

OpenAI, the artificial intelligence firm originally founded by Elon Musk and Y Combinator's Sam Altman, just landed a $1 billion investment from Microsoft.

Though originally founded to be a non-profit, ethical alternative to the massive companies developing AI tech, OpenAI [became a sort of hybrid](<https://futurism.com/ai-elon-musk-openai-profit>) non-profit and for-profit back in March. The two companies have been collaborating on projects for years, but now with this new investment, *[Business Insider](<https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-openai-artificial-general-intelligence-investment-2019-7>)*[ reports](<https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-openai-artificial-general-intelligence-investment-2019-7>) that OpenAI will be developing AI tech specifically for Microsoft's cloud services.

## Partnering Up

The ultimate goal of the partnership is to work toward [Artificial General Intelligence](<https://futurism.com/human-level-artificial-intelligence-agi>), according to *BI*. That's the catch-all term for AI that can think, emote, and reason at a human-or-above level.

"OpenAI and Microsoft's vision is for Artificial General Intelligence to work with people to help solve currently intractable multi-disciplinary problems," reads a press release reviewed by *BI*, "including global challenges such as climate change, more personalized healthcare and education."

**READ MORE:** [Microsoft is investing $1 billion in OpenAI, the Elon Musk-founded company that's trying to build human-like artificial intelligence](<https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-openai-artificial-general-intelligence-investment-2019-7>) \[*Business Insider*\]

**More on AI:** *[The AI Nonprofit Elon Musk Founded and Quit Is Now For-Profit](<https://futurism.com/ai-elon-musk-openai-profit>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)