Not OK to steal a charity | Latest Tech News
Elon Musk took the stand as the high-profile trial over the future of OpenAI kicked off on Tuesday — claiming that CEO Sam Altman took control of a group based as a “charity” and improperly morphed it into a money-minting company juggernaut.
“They’re going to make this case seem complicated but it’s actually very simple,” Musk told a packed federal courtroom in Oakland, Calif. early Tuesday afternoon, wanting relaxed in a black swimsuit and tie.
“It’s not ok to steal a charity — that’s my view,” said Musk. “This case will become case law and become precedent to looting every charity in America. The entire foundation of charitable giving in America will be destroyed.”
Elon Musk arrives in federal court in Oakland. AP
OpenAI’s attorneys objected, noting that Musk wasn’t an attorney, prompting US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers to instruct jurors that Musk’s feedback had been his opinions and had “no legal value whatsoever.”
Musk was the first witness called to the stand in the blockbuster case where the Tesla CEO has accused Altman and OpenAI’s president Greg Brockman of betraying OpenAI’s authentic mission as a nonprofit to safely develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity.
Prior to Musk’s testimony, William Savitt, an attorney for defendants for OpenAI and its co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman slammed Musk’s legal agenda as a hypocritical “tale of two Elons.”
Savitt painted Musk’s lawsuit as little more than an opportunistic attempt to throttle OpenAI and only got here about after Musk launched a competing AI company xAI.
Musk “will do anything he can to attack OpenAI,” Savitt said, including that Musk didn’t prefer it when OpenAI grew to become an in a single day family identify in late 2022. “He didn’t start coming up with these arguments until he saw that OpenAI could make a lot of money.”
“What he cares about is Elon Musk being on top – That’s why we’re here,” Savitt said. “Mr. Musk had fallen behind. He launched xAI and then he sued.”
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. REUTERS
Musk testified that he began OpenAI because he was involved about malevolent big tech firms controlling AI, calling out Google particularly.
“A company needed to be started as a counterweight to Google,” Musk said. “Google didn’t seem to care about AI safety at the time.”
Musk recalled for the courtroom an anecdote where, while staying at Google co-founder Larry Page’s home, Page called Musk a “specie-ist,” accusing him of caring more about people than robots. “I do care about humans more than AI,” Musk shot back, he told jurors. “What side are you on, Larry?”
Musk is in search of $150 billion in damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, pledging to donate any proceeds from a court victory to OpenAI’s charitable arm. He is also asking the court to restore OpenAI’s nonprofit standing and take away Altman and Brockman from management roles.
Sam Altman in federal court in Oakland. AFP via Getty Images
Musk’s testimony lined early discussions inside OpenAI about the potential to create a small for-profit entity to help with fundraising.
A for-profit was positive “as long as the tail did not wag the dog,” Musk said. “I could have started it as a for profit and I specifically chose not to.”
Musk’s attorneys pointed to one electronic mail indicating that Musk and Brockman agreed in 2015 that OpenAI needs to be created as a nonprofit. Sam Altman responded saying that a nonprofit was the best way to go. Less than a month later, Musk’s attorneys said OpenAI was based as a nonprofit.
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