tech
May 2, 2026
Musk v. Altman week 1: Elon Musk says he was duped, warns AI could kill us all, and admits that xAI distills OpenAI’s models
Musk kept his cool, and OpenAI’s lawyer bulldozed him with piercing questions about his motivations for suing the company.
TL;DR
- Elon Musk is suing OpenAI, claiming he was misled into bankrolling the company and that its leaders enriched themselves.
- Musk argued that OpenAI should revert to its original nonprofit mission of developing AI for humanity's benefit.
- He warned of the existential threat posed by artificial intelligence, comparing it to a 'Terminator situation'.
- OpenAI's lawyer countered that Musk is a competitor suing to undermine them and was never committed to OpenAI remaining a nonprofit.
- Musk admitted that his AI company, xAI, uses OpenAI's models for training, a practice that caused gasps in the courtroom.
- The trial's outcome could impact OpenAI's planned IPO and Musk's own AI ventures.
- Musk outlined three phases of his view on OpenAI: enthusiastic support, loss of confidence, and belief that the nonprofit is being 'looted'.
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