Altman and Musk put AI trust on trial
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's first turn on the witness stand Tuesday sharpened the central fight in Elon Musk's lawsuit: whether either man can be trusted to put AI safety ahead of money and control.
Why it matters: The testimony showed how hard it is for any AI leader to claim the moral high ground.
Driving the news: Altman rejected Musk's central claim that OpenAI and Microsoft had effectively tried to "steal a charity."
- "It feels difficult to even wrap my head around that framing," Altman said. He argued that shifting to a for-profit structure was the only way to raise the amount of money needed to develop safe and powerful artificial intelligence.
- Earlier in the trial, Musk offered a competing narrative, casting himself as the defender of OpenAI's original safety mission.
- Altman testified that Musk wanted to profit from OpenAI and also to control it, citing Musk's early push for a controlling stake or a merger with Tesla. Altman also said Musk wanted that control to pass to his children after his death.
Catch up quick: Musk filed the current lawsuit in 2024, accusing Altman, OpenAI, Greg Brockman and Microsoft of betraying OpenAI's nonprofit mission.
- The trial began last month in federal court in Oakland, with Musk, Brockman, Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI board chair Bret Taylor and others among the witnesses.
The big picture: Musk's lawyers used cross-examination to attack Altman's credibility, citing testimony from former OpenAI figures including Mira Murati, Sutskever and Helen Toner, along with older criticism from his career as a tech executive and investor.
- "I believe I am an honest and trustworthy businessperson," Altman said.
- Musk's lawyers also highlighted OpenAI's dealings with companies in which Altman holds a financial stake, including payments giant Stripe, chip startup Cerebras and fusion energy company Helion, where Altman holds a significant stake and was, until recently, board chair.
Between the lines: Neither side has offered a clean, reassuring story about AI governance.
What we're watching: Closing arguments are expected Thursday.
