OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took the stand on Tuesday in his federal lawsuit with co-founder Elon Musk to defend himself against accusations that he “stole a charity” by converting the maker of ChatGPT into a for-profit juggernaut. Altman pushed back against the notion that Musk genuinely cares about OpenAI, testifying that “Mr. Musk did try to kill it,” and adding that Musk launched a competitor called xAI, tried to poach OpenAI's talent, and engaged in “business interference.” Under cross examination by Musk's attorney Steven Molo, Altman conceded that there are “some times in my life when I did not” tell the truth and that he had been called a liar by business associates, while defending the original decision to convert OpenAI to a for-profit by saying the co-founders felt no single person (including Musk) should control AGI. If the court finds Altman, Brockman, and Microsoft liable for “breach of charitable trust” and “unjust enrichment,” Musk has asked for up to $150B in disgorgement to the nonprofit, as well as the unwinding of the for-profit and the removal of Altman and Brockman from their leadership roles, with closing arguments scheduled for Thursday and a decision possible next week.
