OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has taken the stand in a closely watched legal battle brought by Elon Musk, where Musk is challenging the company’s structure and its transition from a nonprofit vision to a powerful commercial AI enterprise. The case has become one of the most significant disputes in the global tech industry, raising questions about control, safety, and the future of artificial intelligence.
During his testimony, Altman strongly rejected Musk’s claim that OpenAI’s founders “stole a charity” when the organization created a for-profit arm to scale its AI products. He described the accusation as difficult to understand, emphasizing that OpenAI was built as a major charitable initiative designed to advance AI research for public benefit, not personal gain.
A major highlight of the testimony involved a striking allegation about Musk’s early intentions. Altman told the court that during internal discussions in 2017, Musk once suggested that if he were no longer alive, control of OpenAI’s for-profit structure might pass to his children. The remark, according to Altman, raised serious concerns about centralizing control of advanced AI in the hands of a single family or individual.
Altman also criticized Musk’s leadership style during OpenAI’s early development, arguing that it was poorly suited for a research-focused organization. He claimed Musk’s approach created tension within the team, including demands to rank researchers by performance, which he said damaged morale and the organization’s culture at a critical stage of its growth.
The testimony also revisited Musk’s eventual departure from OpenAI’s board and his later move into competing AI ventures, including xAI. Despite the split, Altman said communication between both sides continued for a period, including discussions involving Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI, which he described as unexpectedly informal and lighthearted.
source: techcrunch