Microsoft has good news for Elon Musk, bad news for Sam Altman

One of the tech sector’s biggest names recently announced something that experts believe has significant implications for Elon Musk.

This development has nothing to do with Tesla or SpaceX. It concerns Musk’s other company, xAI, which doesn’t typically attract as much attention as its predecessors.

But the artificial intelligence (AI) startup is in full focus today, after Microsoft  (MSFT)  announced a major development that could help usher in an important change.

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Microsoft has been highly focused on expanding its AI lineup lately, even as it significantly scales down its workforce. However, the big tech leader recently revealed that it will expand its roster by partnering with multiple AI startups, just not the one that it has famously backed for years.

Microsoft may be sending a clear message to an AI leader

This week, thousands gathered in Seattle, Washington, for the annual Microsoft Build conference, a highly anticipated event. During the four-day conference, developers and other tech professionals learn about the company’s latest advancements regarding platforms such as Office and Azure, its public cloud platform.

Related: Microsoft has a secret weapon in war against Google, Amazon

During this year’s conference, attendees learned something unexpected when Microsoft revealed that it will expand the list of AI models available for Azure users to include xAI’s Grok 3. Rolled out earlier this year, the large language model (LLM) has been described as feeling like a step toward “unsettlingly human-like intelligence” and having better speed and logic than its competitors.

This could be a major step toward something else for Microsoft. The company is currently fighting to become the tech sector’s go-to marketplace where developers can build and deploy AI applications, a title for which rivals such as Amazon and Google are actively competing.

Integrating Grok 3 and Grok 3 mini could easily draw more users to Microsoft’s platform, given the model’s popularity. However, this decision signals something important. The company seems to be trying to decrease its reliance on OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, which Microsoft has heavily invested in for years.

Microsoft is OpenAI’s top backer, having invested more than $13 billion into the AI research startup since 2019. Yet tensions have been rising between the two companies recently, as OpenAI has begun selling AI products for enterprise customers, making it a direct Microsoft competitor.

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Now it seems that Microsoft is sending a clear message to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman by making a deal with one of his biggest rivals. But on top of that, Altman and Musk have been locked in a feud for years, which has included Musk trying to buy Altman’s company and publicly calling him out on social media.

AI founder sees Musk as a clear winner of this deal

However, one expert thinks Microsoft is going beyond simply sending Altman a message with its latest move. Komninos Chatzipapas, founder of AI startup HeraHaven, spoke to TheStreet about the potential implications of Microsoft’s actions for both Musk and Altman.

Related: Microsoft AI surge prompts investment firm to revise stock rating

Chatzipapas sees Microsoft’s move to disentangle itself from OpenAI as more of an attempt to “light a fire” under Altman than send him a specific message. However, he does believe that Musk will significantly benefit from the new deal.

“Not only is Azure the third-biggest cloud provider, but I also think that Elon Musk’s actions have alienated some customers in recent times,” he states. “I think some customers might feel more confident using Grok if they know it’s hosted on Azure rather than by xAI.”

The zero-sum nature of financial markets suggests that Musk’s gain is indeed likely to be Altman’s loss, as Microsoft’s reach makes it accessible to even more users. Chatzipapas notes that while Azure offers many AI models and its grip on OpenAI is not as tight as it is on other companies, he thinks this brewing conflict has the potential to escalate.

Even if it does, though, this development is a likely catalyst for Microsoft stock, as it could bring more users to its cloud platform, helping cement its reputation as the go-to marketplace for AI developers. The company’s leaders have stated that developers want choice when it comes to AI models, and they are focused on delivering exactly that.

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