Elon Musk faced off with lawyers for Sam Altman and OpenAI on Thursday (April 30) in a high-stakes courtroom battle that could reshape the future of the company behind ChatGPT.
The world’s richest man is suing OpenAI, Altman and company president Greg Brockman, alleging they abandoned promises to build a nonprofit AI organization focused on the public good and instead turned it into a for-profit venture.
The lawsuit, heard before US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, centers on Musk’s claim that OpenAI misused his donations and support in pursuit of massive commercial ambitions.
Musk says he believed OpenAI would remain unprofitable
During cross-examination, OpenAI attorney William Savitt pressed Musk on whether he had ignored warning signs that the organization intended to move to a for-profit structure.
Savitt was referring to a 2017 term discussing plans for a for-profit entity overseen by the nonprofit’s board of directors.
“My testimony is that I didn’t read the fine print, just the headline,” Musk told the court.
Musk claimed he relied on assurances from Altman and others that OpenAI’s nonprofit mission would remain intact.
“Sam Altman and others have assured me that OpenAI will continue as a non-profit organization,” he said.
Heated courtroom exchanges
At several moments during the questioning, Musk appeared visibly frustrated.
“Few answers are going to be complete, especially if you keep interrupting me,” Musk told Savitt.
Judge Rogers later criticized the lawyer for interrupting Musk during one exchange, though she rejected Musk’s complaints that the questioning itself was improper.
Savitt has repeatedly highlighted emails and text messages showing discussions between OpenAI’s founders about the potential commercialization of AI technology and restrictions on open source access.
The questioning echoed earlier courtroom exchanges this week, in which Savitt pointed to reports suggesting Musk had at times expressed openness to a for-profit structure.
OpenAI accuses Musk of trying to take over the company
OpenAI says Musk’s lawsuit is driven less by principle and more by rivalry.
The company says Musk was frustrated after leaving OpenAI’s board in 2018 and is now trying to weaken a competitor for his own AI venture, xAI.
OpenAI lawyers also argued that Musk himself did not always prioritize AI safety concerns when he was involved with the company.
During Thursday’s questioning, Musk admitted that xAI uses OpenAI systems to train and validate its own artificial intelligence models.
“It’s standard practice to use other AIs to validate your AI,” Musk said.
Musk demands $150 billion and major changes in management
Musk is seeking sweeping changes to OpenAI’s structure, along with $150 billion in compensation from OpenAI and Microsoft, one of the company’s biggest investors.
He wants OpenAI to return to non-profit status and is seeking to remove Altman and Brockman from leadership positions.
“I don’t think you should turn a nonprofit into a for-profit,” Musk said.
“There’s nothing wrong with being a for-profit organization, you just can’t steal a charity,” he added.
OpenAI defended its structure, arguing that the for-profit part was necessary to attract the billions of dollars needed for computing infrastructure and top AI talent.
Read also | OpenAI loses key revenue, user targets in high-stakes sprint to IPO
Judge rejects AI extinction testimony
The process also included a debate about the risks of artificial intelligence.
Musk’s lawyer, Steven Molo, argued that expert testimony about AI’s potential threat to humanity should be admitted.
“The risk of extinction is a real problem. This is a real risk. We could all die,” Molo told the court.
Judge Rogers denied the request and responded sharply to Musk’s position.
“I think it’s ironic that your client, despite these risks, is building a company that’s in the same space,” she said, referring to xAI.
“This is not an examination of the security risks of artificial intelligence,” the judge added.
Trial could shape the future of OpenAI
Founded in 2015 as a nonprofit AI research lab, OpenAI has grown into one of the world’s most influential tech companies, reportedly worth more than $850 billion, as it pursues a potential public listing.
The trial is expected to continue for several weeks, with Brockman and AI security expert Stuart Russell among the upcoming witnesses.
Read also | OpenAI Says India Is Biggest Market for ChatGPT Images 2.0
