A jury was selected on Monday in federal court in Oakland, California, for Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman. Some jurors expressed concerns about Musk and AI technology but assured the court they could remain impartial. The trial centers on allegations that OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit mission.
Oakland, California – Jury selection took place on the first day of the trial in Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman. The case, filed in federal court before Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, accuses OpenAI of straying from its original nonprofit mission to benefit humanity by pursuing for-profit ventures. The jury's role is advisory, with the judge making final decisions on liability and remedies if needed. Musk, an early donor who contributed about $38 million, claims OpenAI's leaders, including Altman and Greg Brockman, 'stole a charity,' as he posted on X on Monday. 'Scam Altman and Greg Stockman stole a charity. Full stop,' Musk wrote, vowing any damages to OpenAI's nonprofit arm. OpenAI dismissed the suit as a 'baseless and jealous bid to derail a competitor,' stating on X that 'the truth and the law are on our side.' The company plans to question Musk under oath about undermining efforts for artificial general intelligence to benefit humanity. Historical emails from 2015-2017 reveal early tensions, with co-founders questioning Musk's and Altman's leadership ambitions. Depositions highlighted inconsistencies: Musk admitted inflating his donations from $100 million to $38 million, while Altman accused Musk of prioritizing reputation over AI safety. Musk seeks $134 billion in damages, potentially rising higher with Microsoft involved. Witnesses include Brockman, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Ilya Sutskever; the trial may last four weeks. Ahead of proceedings, Musk boosted a New Yorker investigation into Altman's behavior on X.
