Musk Attends 'AI Trial of the Century,' Claims "OpenAI Was My Idea"

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, who has engaged in heated exchanges with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, appeared in court regarding the "OpenAI commercialization transition" trial. Musk argued that this lawsuit is intended to defend American charitable giving and claimed that he is effectively the founder of OpenAI. Foreign media outlets reported that this trial is viewed as an "event that could determine the future of AI."

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is attending the OpenAI commercialization lawsuit held in Oakland, California on the 28th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News

원본보기 아이콘

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and other sources on the 28th (local time), on the first day of the trial, Musk testified, "If it is allowed to plunder charitable organizations, the entire American charitable giving system will collapse," adding, "That is my concern." However, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is presiding over the trial, told the jury that this statement was a "personal opinion" and "has no legal value."

Musk also insisted that OpenAI originated from his own concept. He said, "I created the idea and the name, recruited the key personnel, taught them everything I knew, and provided all the initial funding." He emphasized, "It was designed as a charitable organization so that no specific individual would benefit, and while it could have started as a for-profit company, I deliberately chose not to."

William Savitt, the attorney representing OpenAI and CEO Altman, said in his opening statement that Musk "wanted the keys to the kingdom," and, having failed to obtain them, filed the lawsuit. He added that in 2023, Musk established his own AI company, xAI, which is now integrated into SpaceX. He further stated, "What he is interested in is Elon Musk being at the top."

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is attending a trial. Photo by AP Yonhap News Agency

원본보기 아이콘

Previously, Musk claimed that OpenAI abandoned its founding purpose as a nonprofit organization for the public good by pursuing a for-profit transition after receiving billions of dollars in investment from Microsoft. The remedies he is seeking include the resignation of Altman and OpenAI's management, payment of more than $180 billion in damages from OpenAI's for-profit division to its nonprofit parent, and a reversal of the recent governance changes.

On the other hand, OpenAI has countered that Musk was not only aware of the plan to transition to a for-profit structure but also supported it, and even demanded sole control over the organization. The founders rejected his demands, after which Musk established a separate AI company, and OpenAI claims the current lawsuit is "part of a broad campaign of harassment."

The relationship between the two was also evident in court that day. It is reported that Altman left the courtroom before Musk began his testimony. Previously, on the 27th, a day earlier, Musk posted more than 20 messages on X (formerly Twitter), calling Altman a "fraud" and accusing him of stealing a charitable organization, for which he was reprimanded by the court. Both sides agreed to comply with Judge Rogers' warning to refrain from mentioning the case on social media.

Musk is scheduled to provide further testimony on the 29th, and his longtime associate Jared Birchall is also expected to testify. There is also a possibility that Altman and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, will testify.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.