Altman Responds to Musk’s Claims in OpenAI Trial
OAKLAND, Calif. — Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has challenged Elon Musk’s allegations that he “stole” the charity OpenAI and directed it away from its nonprofit goals. Altman pointed out that Musk was actively trying to seize control of OpenAI during its formative years.
On the witness stand for the first time in a pivotal trial regarding OpenAI’s future, Altman recounted a “chilling” incident from the company’s early days. He mentioned a moment when several co-founders asked Musk what would become of OpenAI if he passed away and claimed control. Musk’s reply? “Control of OpenAI should be transferred to my children,” as Altman recounted to the courtroom.
Altman described Musk’s comments and his seemingly casual approach to AI safety as “very disturbing.”
When questioned directly by OpenAI’s attorney, William Savitt, about Musk’s “stealing charity” accusation, Altman seemed taken aback. “I find it hard to even wrap my head around it,” he stated, appearing relaxed in his dark suit and gray tie. “It doesn’t fit my idea of stealing charity.”
Altman also critiqued Musk in a more measured tone. He noted that morale improved within OpenAI when Musk scaled back his involvement, suggesting that Musk’s inquiries about short-term contributions from employees didn’t align well with their long-term research objectives.
The trial, now in its third week, features a conflict between tech giants that may shape the future of OpenAI and its leadership. Musk has initiated a federal lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging a breach of its philanthropic mission while seeking to oust Altman. He claims $180 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft and has pledged to donate any proceeds to OpenAI’s charitable efforts. Additionally, Musk is asking the court to restore OpenAI’s nonprofit status and remove Altman and Brockman from their positions.
With significant attention from Silicon Valley and beyond, the trial reveals the personalities and inner workings of the tech elite. OpenAI, the creator of the popular AI tool ChatGPT, has raised substantial funds from major tech companies and could potentially launch a multitrillion-dollar IPO.
In his testimony, Altman underscored OpenAI’s current safety initiatives and defended himself against accusations from former OpenAI tech directors Mira Murati, Helen Toner, and Tasha McCauley. For instance, a recorded testimony from Murati claimed that Altman fostered a competitive environment among executives, leading to “chaos” that impaired their productivity.
Murati mentioned, “My concern was that Sam was saying one thing to one person and the exact opposite to another.” Musk’s lawsuit also contends that Altman and OpenAI misled him into donating $38 million to the nonprofit, which he argues has strayed from its mission to benefit humanity, turning instead into a for-profit entity that benefits Altman and others.
OpenAI countered, stating in court that Musk was aware of and, at times, supported their commercial endeavors. They argued that Musk distanced himself after the other co-founders rejected his proposal for majority control.
Ilya Satskeva, a former chief scientist at OpenAI, testified on Monday about spending around a year compiling evidence for the board indicating a “consistent pattern of lies” from Altman.
Musk remarked in court that he regarded himself as a “fool” for trusting Altman with OpenAI’s future, expressing regret for giving “free money” to develop a startup. “I gave them $38 million in essentially free capital and they founded what later became an $800 billion company,” Musk said.
