Elon Musk legal battle with OpenAI takes a new turn after Sam Altman makes explosive statement about world’s richest person’s claims.
According to Reuters, OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman on Tuesday, May 12, rejected Elon Musk's claim that he betrayed the ChatGPT maker's founding mission to serve the public good, and said it was Musk who was interested in seizing control of OpenAI and making money from it.
Under questioning from his lawyer in the Oakland, California, federal court, Altman denied Musk's contention that he and OpenAI President Greg Brockman, who is also a defendant, tried to "steal a charity."
Altman said, "It feels difficult to even wrap my head around that framing," and that he hoped that "as OpenAI continues to do well, the nonprofit will do even better."
Meanwhile, SpaceX and Tesla owner who was testified in the trial earlier noted, “If you have someone who is not trustworthy in charge of AI, I think that’s a very big danger for the whole world."
The trial marks a clash among tech giants, with Musk portraying himself as a defender of ordinary people from the perils of artificial intelligence and Silicon Valley titans who care more about money.
In an August 2024 lawsuit, Musk accused Altman and OpenAI of persuading him into giving $38 million, only to see the nonprofit abandon its mission to benefit humanity and instead become a for-profit corporation.
The trial, now in its third week, may determine the future of OpenAI and its leadership, as it prepares for a possible initial public offering that could value the business at $1 trillion.
