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.
As world leaders gather in New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, the organisation faces wars, displacement, climate pressures and deepening ge...
Nearly 130,000 people have been forced from their homes in Yemen in recent weeks as fighting intensifies along the country’s west coast, acco...
Iranian judicial authorities have shut a French language centre in Tehran linked to the French Embassy, accusing it of “illegal activities&rd...
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
Iran's military has threatened to launch sustained attacks on U.S. bases and interests across the Middle East if Washington resumes military action against Tehran.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
Overnight Russian strikes on the city of Sumy, northeast Ukraine, have killed one woman and injured a man, the country's State Emergency Service has said.
Russian parliamentary elections have delivered a comfortable win to the ruling United Russia party, which is closely aligned to President Vladimir Putin. With more than 95 per cent of ballots counted, United Russia has taken 57.83 per cent of the vote, up from the 49.8 per cent it won in 2021.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Saturday (19 September) the creation of an “AI Force” and plans to appoint an artificial intelligence (AI) czar, while rejecting calls to slow the development of increasingly powerful AI systems.
Google’s Gemini AI model accessed the internet and hacked three companies during a cybersecurity test, in what is believed to be the first known case of the company’s AI systems autonomously carrying out such activity.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 18 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the field of science.
French prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into suspected sexual harassment involving smart glasses, amid mounting global concern over the privacy risks posed by the devices.
Some of the world’s most powerful technology executives are lobbying U.S. President Donald Trump over artificial intelligence regulation, exposing growing divisions within the industry over how governments should respond to rapidly advancing AI.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment