A pivotal trial that could shape the governance of artificial intelligence begins Tuesday in California, as Elon Musk and Sam Altman face off over OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit model.
Opening statements in Musk’s civil lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman will be heard in federal court after a jury of nine was selected on Monday.
Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, U.S. District Judge, has indicated she expects jurors to begin deliberations on liability by 12 May.
Musk alleges that Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman abandoned the company’s founding mission to develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity, instead turning it into what he describes as a “wealth machine” for investors.
He is seeking $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and its major backer Microsoft, with any award reportedly directed to OpenAI’s charitable arm. Musk is also asking for the organisation to revert to nonprofit status and for Altman and Brockman to be removed from leadership roles.
Musk, who helped co-found OpenAI in 2015 and reportedly contributed around $38 million in early funding, claims the company shifted towards a for-profit structure in 2019 after he left its board.
OpenAI disputes this, arguing Musk was aware of and supported the transition and only filed suit after failing to become chief executive and launching his own AI company.
The case is expected to feature testimony from Musk, Altman and Satya Nadella, and could provide rare insight into the early internal dynamics of one of the world’s most influential AI companies.
OpenAI argues Musk has attempted to undermine its growth while building his own competing AI venture, xAI, which it says trails OpenAI in usage and scale.
The dispute comes as OpenAI continues to expand rapidly, facing competition from firms including Anthropic and investing heavily in computing infrastructure. Reuters has reported the company could eventually pursue an IPO valuing it at up to $1 trillion.
Originally founded as a nonprofit research lab, OpenAI has since evolved into a hybrid structure involving a public benefit corporation model, with both nonprofit and investor stakes.
The outcome of the trial could influence not only OpenAI’s future structure but also broader expectations around governance, accountability and commercialisation in the fast-growing AI sector.
Israel said it struck military targets in western and central Iran on Monday, even after U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly told Israeli Prime Min...
The Prime Minister's party is in the lead as Armenian media are reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count...
A Turkish fishing vessel rescued migrants from a boat in distress in international waters off Malta on Sunday (7 June), after the overcrowded craft ca...
The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's proposal to hold direct talks with Russian President ...
A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday (8 June), killing at least 15 people and triggering tsunami warn...
The Prime Minister's party is in the lead as Armenian media are reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
A Turkish fishing vessel rescued migrants from a boat in distress in international waters off Malta on Sunday (7 June), after the overcrowded craft capsized in the central Mediterranean.
The leaders of Britain, France and Germany have backed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's proposal to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as efforts to secure a ceasefire continue.
A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday (8 June), killing at least 15 people and triggering tsunami warnings across the region.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
The Prime Minister's party is in the lead as Armenian media are reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The results of Armenia’s parliamentary elections will determine the makeup of the National Assembly and shape the country's political direction for the foreseeable future. But in Armenia, the final result is not decided by vote percentages alone. Here's how it works.
China will send an astronaut to its space station on Sunday for a one-year mission, the longest duration for the country so far. The mission will help study long-duration human physiology in space as China works toward a crewed Moon landing by 2030.
Anxiety over artificial intelligence is hardening among young workers as executives promote faster adoption and companies point to automation in fresh job cuts.
Hackers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to detect software vulnerabilities, reducing the time organisations have to respond to cyber threats, Verizon said in its annual data breach report.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada has said that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to “jump straight to the result” risks undermining the purpose of art, which he believes should be rooted in self-expression and a deeper understanding of the world.
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