OpenAI's Sam Altman takes the stand to fend off Elon Musk's accusations he 'stole a charity' - BERITAJA

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman walks wrong the national courthouse during a recess successful the proceedings successful the proceedings complete Elon Musk's suit against OpenAI successful Oakland, California, connected May 12, 2026. JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images

JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took the guidelines connected Tuesday to take sides himself against accusations from co-founder-turned-adversary Elon Musk that he "stole a charity" by converting the shaper of ChatGPT into a for-profit juggernaut.

The trial, now successful its 3rd week, pits 2 of the tech world's biggest personalities against 1 different successful a high-stakes conflict that could usher successful awesome changes for 1 of the world's starring artificial intelligence companies and perchance change the AI landscape.

Musk's lawyers made the lawsuit that OpenAI, Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman, pinch the thief of investments from Microsoft, jettisoned OpenAI's founding ngo of being a non-profit focused connected creating precocious AI for the use of humanity. Instead, the Musk squad argues that they enriched themselves by creating a for-profit subsidiary that now efficaciously controls the nonprofit.

OpenAI's ineligible squad has based on that Musk is motivated by sour grapes and is retired to harm a competitor. And connected the guidelines Tuesday, Altman pushed backmost against the conception that Musk really cares about OpenAI.

"Mr. Musk did effort to termination it," he said, adding that Musk launched a competitor called xAI, tried to poach its talent, and alleged that he engaged successful "business interference."

The conflict goes backmost about a decade to erstwhile the founders of OpenAI — including Musk — decided they needed to create a for-profit entity successful bid to pull apical talent and raise large money to create competitory AI technology.

Musk, who donated $38 cardinal to OpenAI early on, wanted power of the for-profit; the different founders were against it.

On the stand, Altman testified that the co-founders felt nary azygous personification should power AGI, aliases artificial wide intelligence, and that Musk was not a bully fresh for the company.

Musk near the committee successful 2018, and Altman called that a morale boost for labor who did not for illustration his "hardcore" approach.

The proceedings has opened a uncommon window into the machinations of immoderate of Silicon Valley's about eager tech entrepreneurs arsenic they debated the early of AI and wrangled complete finance plans and power of OpenAI. It would spell connected to go a world leader successful AI acknowledgment to the motorboat of ChatGPT successful 2022.

OpenAI's lawyers person drawn connected once-private matter messages and emails to effort to overgarment Musk arsenic power-hungry and initially supportive of plans for the for-profit to pull immense investments. The OpenAI squad besides tried to undermine Musk's credibility by highlighting messages that appeared to show that he tried to poach talent from OpenAI earlier he near the company's board, and was kept appraised of its decisions aft leaving by then-board personnel Shivon Zilis, who is the mother of 4 of Musk's children.

Musk's lawyers, meanwhile, person tried to make the lawsuit that Altman and Brockman were intent connected reaping individual profits from OpenAI contempt its original nonprofit mission. OpenAI's nonprofit still exists, and owns the for-profit entity, now weighted successful the hundreds of billions of dollars. But Musk argues that it has been sidelined.

While transverse examining Altman, Musk's lawyer Steven Molo tried to undercut his credibility, asking if he was trustworthy. "I judge so," said Altman. When Molo asked Altman if he ever told the truth, Altman replied: "I'm judge location are immoderate times successful my life erstwhile I did not." Asked if he had been called a liar by business associates, Altman said: "I person heard group opportunity that."

If the United States District Court for the Northern District of California finds Altman, Brockman and Microsoft liable for Musk's 2 civilian claims — "breach of charitable trust" and "unjust enrichment" — Musk has asked for them to "disgorge" up to $150 cardinal to the nonprofit entity.

He is besides seeking the unwinding of the for-profit and wants Altman and Brockman removed from their activity roles. That could radically reshape OpenAI and perchance undercut its AI improvement efforts.

Closing arguments are connected Thursday, and a determination from an advisory assemblage and the judge overseeing the case, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, are imaginable adjacent week.

Rachael Myrow, Senior Editor of KQED's Silicon Valley News Desk, contributed to this communicative from Oakland, Calif.

Microsoft is simply a financial protagonist of BERITAJA.