The Elon Musk versus OpenAI trial intensified this week with two significant developments: the emergence of threatening pre-trial text messages from Musk, and testimony from a prominent AI safety expert called by Musk’s legal team.
According to a court filing submitted by OpenAI’s lawyers, Musk contacted OpenAI president Greg Brockman two days before the trial began, suggesting a settlement. When Brockman proposed both sides drop their respective suits, Musk responded with a warning that Brockman and CEO Sam Altman would become the most reviled figures in America by the week’s end. The judge ruled the exchange inadmissible, but OpenAI’s decision to file it publicly sharpened perceptions that Musk’s lawsuit is less about AI safety and more about financial grievance and competitive pressure on a rival.
On the safety front, Musk’s attorneys called UC Berkeley computer science professor Stuart Russell, a longtime AI risk researcher, to establish that advanced AI poses genuine dangers. Russell testified about risks ranging from cybersecurity threats to the destabilizing dynamics of an AGI arms race. However, the judge limited the scope of his testimony following objections from OpenAI’s counsel, who used cross-examination to establish that Russell had not specifically assessed OpenAI’s corporate structure or safety practices.
The trial continues to expose a deeper tension at the heart of the AI industry: founders who have loudly warned about existential AI risks while simultaneously racing to build and profit from the same technology.
Featured image: Credit: Gage Skidmore, Wikipedia
