Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, who has engaged in a sharp dispute with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, appeared in court for the trial regarding the "commercialization of OpenAI." CEO Musk argued that this lawsuit is intended to protect American charitable donations and asserted that he is the de facto founder of OpenAI. Foreign media outlets have described this trial as “an event that could determine the future of AI.”

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others on the 28th (local time), on the first day of the trial, CEO Musk testified, “If it is allowed to plunder charitable organizations, the entire system of charitable giving in the United States will collapse. That is my concern.” However, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is presiding over the trial, explained to the jury that these remarks were “personal opinions” and “carry no legal weight.”

CEO Musk also claimed that OpenAI originated from his own vision. He stated, “I created the idea and the name, recruited key personnel, taught them everything I know, and provided all the initial funding.” He emphasized, “It was designed as a charitable organization so that no specific individual would benefit. It could have started as a for-profit company, but I intentionally chose not to do so.”

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

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is walking down the courthouse hallway during a recess at a trial held on the 28th (local time) at the U.S. District Court in Oakland, California. Photo by AP.

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Previously, CEO Musk argued that OpenAI abandoned its founding principle as a nonprofit organization for the public good when it received billions of dollars in investments from Microsoft and pursued transformation into a for-profit company. The remedies he is seeking include the removal of Altman and the OpenAI management team, more than 180 billion dollars in damages to be paid from OpenAI's for-profit division to its nonprofit parent organization, and the reversal of the recent changes in OpenAI's governance structure.

On the other hand, OpenAI has countered that Musk not only knew about the plan to shift 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. OpenAI has argued that the current lawsuit is part of a “broad harassment strategy.”

The relationship between the two was evident in court that day as well. CEO Altman reportedly left the courtroom before CEO Musk’s testimony began. Previously, on the 27th, CEO Musk posted over 20 messages on X (formerly Twitter), calling CEO Altman a “fraud” and accusing him of stealing a charitable organization, for which he was admonished by the court. Both sides agreed to Judge Rogers’ warning to refrain from mentioning the case on social media.

CEO Musk is scheduled to provide additional testimony on the 29th, and his long-time close associate Jared Birchall is also expected to testify. There is also a possibility that CEO Altman and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, may take the stand.