Jury selection began on Monday for a high-profile trial pitting Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, against the company he once backed and which is now a major rival in the artificial intelligence (AI) field, OpenAI.
Musk has accused OpenAI CEO Sam Altman of duping him into investing millions in the company by claiming it was a non-profit startup whose technology would benefit the entire world.
The trial, which is taking place across the bay from San Francisco, is clearly about how AI should be used. Many fear that advanced technology could become a job destroyer and a threat to humanity’s existence.
However, some observers also see the matter as a personal feud driven by rivalry OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot is a top competitor to Grok, which is built by Musk’s XAI Labs and is slated to launch in 2023.
Potential jurors asked about Musk, Altman
Potential jurors were asked their thoughts about both Musk and Altman, and whether they could set aside any biases when considering evidence at the trial.
An Oakland city employee called Musk “a jerk.”
Another potential juror, a retiree, said: “Elon doesn’t care about people like our president.”
On the other hand, many people said that although Altman’s name sounds familiar, they do not have such strong opinions about him.
What is the issue in the Musk-Altman test?
Musk has filed a complaint claiming Altman persuaded him in 2015 to back OpenAI as a nonprofit lab whose technology “would be the world’s best.”
After pouring millions of dollars into the startup, Musk later left, while OpenAI created a commercial subsidiary to generate the money needed for the data centers to power its technology.
In his lawsuit, Musk argues that Altman deceived him into believing that OpenAI’s mission was altruistic.
He has called for OpenAI to be forced to return to its non-profit character and has demanded that Altman and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman be ousted.
Musk, who initially sought $134 billion (€114 billion) in damages, has since promised to redirect any compensation he receives to the OpenAI nonprofit.
OpenAI currently has a hybrid governance structure that gives its non-profit foundation control over the for-profit arm.
The company, which is backed by billions of dollars by Microsoft, is now worth about $852 billion.
What did OpenAI say?
OpenAI has argued that Musk’s departure was motivated more by his desire for full control than by frustration over his non-profit status.
“This case has always been about Elon generating more power and more money to get what he wants,” OpenAI said in a recent X post.
“Their lawsuit is nothing more than a harassment campaign driven by ego, jealousy and a desire to slow down a rival.” A decision in the case is expected by mid-May.
Edited by: Louis Olofse