Closing arguments concluded on Thursday in the high-stakes legal battle between Elon Musk and OpenAI, with a nine-person jury now tasked with deciding whether the AI firm and its CEO Sam Altman breached a founding agreement. The trial, held in a federal courthouse in Oakland, California, has captivated Silicon Valley, featuring testimony from prominent tech figures and exposing the contentious history of OpenAI.
Musk's legal team argued that Altman, OpenAI, and its president Greg Brockman violated the non-profit's founding principles when they restructured into a for-profit entity. Attorney Steven Molo questioned Altman's credibility, highlighting witnesses who described him as dishonest or misleading. 'Sam Altman's credibility is directly at issue in this case,' Molo told the jury, urging them to reject Altman's version of events.
OpenAI's attorney Sarah Eddy countered that Musk's case lacked concrete evidence, noting that even Musk's romantic partner Shivon Zilis could not recall an explicit agreement regarding his financial support. 'No documents corroborate Mr Musk's story,' Eddy said, adding that Musk had known about plans for a for-profit structure as early as 2017 and had sought to dominate the company.
The jury will now deliberate on whether Altman and OpenAI are liable for allegedly bilking Musk and unjustly enriching themselves. A verdict is expected in the coming days.
