Elon Musk believes one of his major attempts to limit concentrated AI power may have produced the reverse outcome.

During a discussion with Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor in chief of The Economist, the xAI founder noted he helped start OpenAI chiefly as a balance to Google when that company held a near monopoly on the technology, yet events unfolded differently than planned.

"By founding OpenAI and then seeing Anthropic emerge from it, with Anthropic now at the forefront of AI, these steps have created ripple effects that sped up AI development, which was not really my goal," Musk said.

"It appears every path ends up accelerating AI," Musk continued.

Musk has repeatedly faulted OpenAI for shifting from a nonprofit lab into one of the highest valued AI firms. His dispute with chief executive Sam Altman reached the courts, where Musk filed a $150 billion suit against OpenAI, Altman, Microsoft, and related parties, claiming the company strayed from its original purpose.

In May a federal judge in Oakland dismissed the claims after a jury determined the statute of limitations had expired. Musk has indicated plans to appeal the ruling.

In the interview Musk also addressed how Anthropic began.

"The Anthropic team departed OpenAI because they lacked trust in Sam Altman, otherwise Anthropic would not exist and they would remain at OpenAI," Musk said, while describing Anthropic chief Dario Amodei as a principled individual focused on the world's future.

Despite personal disagreements with Altman and other AI executives, Musk urged leading firms to collaborate on safety measures.

"Competitors can, given a week or two to examine a new model, point out problems," Musk said. "All participants have reason to ensure the others remain accountable."

"If a concern arises and the company fails to address the risk," Musk added, "that would prompt government intervention."