Sam Altman and Elon Musk are facing off in a high-stakes trial that could alter the future of OpenAI and its most well-known product, ChatGPT. In 2024, Musk filed a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of abandoning its founding mission of developing AI to benefit humanity and shifting focus to boosting profits instead.
The trial began with jury selection on April 27th, before Elon Musk took the stand on Tuesday as the first witness called, portraying his interest in founding OpenAI as an effort to help save humanity.
Musk was a cofounder of OpenAI and claims that Altman and cofounder Greg Brockman tricked him into giving the company money, only to turn their backs on their original goal. However, OpenAI says that “This lawsuit has always been a baseless and jealous bid to derail a competitor” in a bid to boost Musk’s own SpaceX / xAI / X companies that have launched Grok as a competitor to ChatGPT.
In his lawsuit, Musk is asking for the removal of Altman and Brockman, and for OpenAI to stop operating as a public benefit corporation. Musk has also demanded that OpenAI’s nonprofit receive up to $150 billion in damages he’s asking for if he wins the case.
Here’s all the latest on the trial between Musk and Altman:
- Elon Musk appeared more petty than prepared
- That’s a wrap!
- YGR scolds OpenAI for taking inconsistent positions on the origin of its name.
- Elon Musk tells the jury that all he wants to do is save humanity
- Arguments over ownership.
- Apparently OpenAI could have had an ICO.
- “I was not averse to a small for-profit,” Musk says.
- We’re reading emails between Musk and Jensen Huang.
- Musk says nonprofit was non-negotiable for OpenAI.
- We’re at the founding of OpenAI.
- Musk says he would have created something like OpenAI on his own.
- Musk recalls meeting Sam Altman.
- Sam Altman left during a break, but Elon Musk’s lawyer didn’t notice.
- “Here we are in 2026 and AI is scary smart.”
- “I have extreme concerns about AI,” says Musk.
- AI will be as smart as ‘any human as soon as next year.’
- Musk claims he has time for SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, and the Boring Company because he works a lot.
- Musk is telling the jury he (co)founded Tesla.
- Neuralink’s long-term goal is… AI?
- “There need to be things that people are excited about that make life worth living … being out there among the stars can excite everyone.”
- A little Musk biography.
- Elon Musk, looking funereal in a black suit with a black tie, says “it’s not okay to steal a charity.”
- Elon Musk takes the stand in high-profile trial against OpenAI
- We are back from a break.
- Elon Musk will be the first witness in Musk v. Altman.
- “Microsoft unlocked with OpenAI a virtuous cycle.”
- Microsoft enters the chat.
- “We are here because Mr Musk didn’t get his way at OpenAI.”
- “[Musk] demanded control, he demanded the ability to make all the decisions without regard to the other founders.”
- OpenAI lawyers argue that Elon was right in the middle of discussions about a for-profit pivot.
- “Musk was furious that OpenAI succeeded.”
- OpenAI: Musk’s lawsuit is a “pageant of hypocrisy.”
- Sam Altman’s “related party conflicted transactions” are how he made money on OpenAI, Molo says.
- Technical difficulties.
- OpenAI is like a museum store that has looted the Picassos and pocketed the profits.
- AGI might be out of fashion in the AI world, but it will be at the center of this trial
- “The defendants in this case stole a charity.”
- Musk and Altman go to court
- Good morning from the Musk v Altman line outside the courtroom.
- Jury selection in Musk v. Altman: ‘People don’t like him’
- We have a jury.
- Elon Musk’s lawyer tried to get some jurors thrown out for disliking Musk.
- Apparently things are exciting outside.
- We have gone through the first 20 potential jurors.
- Voir dire has begun.
- The Elon Musk vs. OpenAI trial starts today.
- Elon Musk drops fraud claims against OpenAI and Sam Altman before trial.
- Musk vs. Altman is here, and it’s going to get messy
- Elon Musk is about to be a very busy boy!
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- Elon Musk’s xAI is suing OpenAI and Apple
- Inside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI
- Elon Musk is suing OpenAI and Sam Altman again