OpenAI trial wraps up with testimony about Reid Hoffman, a trophy, and a Musk outburst
Jurors sat for testimony Wednesday on the final day of the showdown between Musk and Altman.
A mug and a tantrum featured prominently, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman was name-dropped.
Closing arguments and jury deliberations are expected to begin Thursday.
After three weeks of testimony that shed new light on some of Silicon Valley’s biggest names, Musk v. Altman jury trial It’s finally coming to an end.
OpenAI wrapped up its case on Wednesday. Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday morning, and the jury is expected to begin deliberations after that.
Musk blamed OpenAI’s Sam Altman And Greg Brockman OpenAI says Musk’s claims stemmed from “jealousy” and that he left the company in 2018 after failing to gain control.
OpenAI on Wednesday featured a number of executives who paint a picture of a company that has no choice but to partner with a tech giant like Microsoft to compete with rivals like Google and Anthropic.
See what unfolds on the final day of jury testimony in this blockbuster case that has the potential to reshape the world of artificial intelligence.
OpenAI’s Chief Futurist Joshua Achiam arrives in court in Oakland, California, for Musk v Altman.Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images
OpenAI’s ‘futurist’ recalls ‘tense conversation’ in which Elon Musk called him a ‘idiot’
Joshua Achiam, OpenAI’s chief futurist was probably the most memorable witness of the day. He told jurors about a companywide meeting in 2018 where Musk answered questions about his plans to leave OpenAI.
Musk told the crowd of 50 or 60 people that he was leaving OpenAI to launch his own rival AI. Achiam said he “wanted to build it very quickly because he was very worried that if someone else took it, they would do something wrong.”
Achaim said he challenged Musk on the safety of this approach, which he called “unsafe and reckless.”
OpenAI’s lawyer Randall Jackson asked: “How did Musk react?” he asked.
“For defense,” Achiam said. “We had a pretty tense argument and he snapped and called me an idiot.”
Protesters mocked Elon Musk outside the Oakland federal courthouse, where the Tesla CEO’s civil lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft is being tried.Josh Elelson/AFP via Getty Images
OpenAI’s lawyers tried to prove ‘idiotic’ exchange with evidence
In an effort to prove Achiam’s story, OpenAI’s lawyers brought to court an award the futurist said he received after his heated conversation with Musk.
On the witness stand, Achiam described the trophy as “a little golden dork with ‘never stop being stupid for safety’ written on it.” He said his then-colleagues Dario Amodei and David Luan gave it to him as a thank you for standing up to the Tesla CEO.
Lead OpenAI advocate William Savitt Speaking to reporters after the daily session, he said that he touched the statue for the first time on Wednesday.
But the futurist had to make do without visual aid. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers He did not appear before the jury because he did not accept the cup as evidence.
Elon Musk is in court in his civil suit against OpenAI and Sam Altman.Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images
OpenAI turned Musk expert’s testimony against itself
Musk and Altman pitched dueling pundits on a question at the heart of the hearing: Was the nonprofit that runs OpenAI hurt or helped by its $13 billion partnership with Microsoft?
Musk’s insider testified last week that the partnership had indeed suffered, supporting the Tesla CEO’s claim that partnering with Microsoft betrayed OpenAI’s nonprofit origins and mission.
But on Thursday, OpenAI expert John Coates used Musk’s own pie chart and his statement against it.
Citing Musk expert Daniel Schizer, Coates said the partnership “generates value for the nonprofit, which I believe he acknowledges is in the $200 billion range.”
“If that’s not going well, I don’t know what good progress is.”
The LinkedIn co-founder’s name was announced upon completion of jury testimony on Thursday.Kimberly White/Getty Images
Microsoft’s CTO once questioned what Reid Hoffman would think about partnering with OpenAI
In a point that wins points for Musk, the jury learned Thursday that Microsoft’s own CTO once expressed concerns about how OpenAI’s early nonprofit donors were involved, including. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffmanwill respond to a partnership.
“I wonder if major OpenAI donors are aware of these plans,” Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott said in a 2018 email he was asked to read aloud to judges.
In it, Scott said he doubted donors would appreciate OpenAI using their seed money to “build something for profit.”
Scott was being questioned by an OpenAI lawyer; This attorney may have wanted jurors to hear Scott’s explanation immediately: He had only a “vague awareness” of what was going on at OpenAI at the time.
Scott also told the jury he wasn’t thinking of Musk when he made that comment.
“I was thinking primarily of Reid Hoffman. He was the OpenAI donor I knew,” Scott said. “I wasn’t thinking of anyone else but him.”
Jurors once again heard videotaped testimony from former OpenAI board member Mira Murati.Bloomberg/Getty Images
OpenAI lawyers claw back damning deposits to defend their case
Last week, Musk’s lawyers played a series of videotaped depositions from former OpenAI board members and executives who complained about Altman. They call it “the culture of lying” Created at OpenAI.
On Wednesday, OpenAI’s lawyers played some of the same tapes to make a different point: The same people promoted the ChatGPT maker’s partnerships with Microsoft at the center of Musk’s allegations.
“We realized this was the best path forward to build what OpenAI had decided to build,” the former board member said Tasha McCauley He talked about OpenAI’s 2019 deal with Microsoft. He made similar statements about Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI in 2023.
Altman critic Mira Murati He also explained that OpenAI’s relationship with Microsoft aligns with the company’s mission.
“Do you think the investments give Microsoft excessive control over OpenAI?” the lawyer asked Murati, a former OpenAI board member. he asked.
