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Elon Musk on Thursday sparred with an attorney for\u00a0OpenAI\u00a0during his third day of testimony in the contentious trial over the company\u2019s pivot from nonprofit status to a for-profit venture valued at hundreds of billions of dollars.<\/p>\n
The trial centers on the 2015 birth of the ChatGPT maker as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk. It pits the world\u2019s richest person against Sam Altman, a fellow OpenAI co-founder\u00a0he accuses of betraying promises\u00a0to keep the company as a nonprofit dedicated to humanity\u2019s benefit.<\/p>\n
Tempers have flared on both sides of the high-stakes trial, as the morning began with an existential discussion about the future of humanity \u2014 complete with references to \u201cThe Terminator\u201d movies \u2014 and how much witness testimony would focus on AI safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour client, despite these risks, is creating a company that is in the exact same space,\u201d Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers told Musk\u2019s lawyers, referring to the billionaire\u2019s xAI, which launched in 2023. People, she said, \u201cdon\u2019t want to put the future of humanity into Mr. Musk\u2019s hands,\u201d and instructed the parties not to discuss the dangers of AI to humanity during the course of the trial.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a trial on the safety risks of artificial intelligence. This is not a trial on whether or not AI has damaged humanity,\u201d she said. \u201cIt could be one day in a federal court in this country that we may have that trial. That is not this trial and we are not going to get sidetracked on that issue in this trial.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the stand, Musk has\u00a0taken issue\u00a0with the cross-examination by opposing attorney William Savitt, accusing him of asking misleading questions designed to trick him and the jury. At one point Thursday, Savitt asked Musk about earlier testimony where he said that as long as investor profits were capped, OpenAI wasn\u2019t in violation of agreements to keep it a nonprofit.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt depends on how high the cap is,\u201d Musk replied. Savitt then said that \u201cwasn\u2019t your complete answer yesterday right?\u201d In response, Musk said \u201cfew answers are going to be complete, especially if you cut me off all the time.\u201d He added that if the cap is \u201csuper high,\u201d then OpenAI is \u201creally a for-profit at that point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lawyers for OpenAI have rejected the allegations brought in Musk\u2019s civil lawsuit and said there were never promises that the company would remain a nonprofit forever. The company has argued Musk\u2019s legal challenge is aimed at undercutting OpenAI\u2019s rapid growth and bolstering Musk\u2019s xAI, which he launched in 2023 as a competitor.<\/p>\n
The trial in federal court in Oakland, California, is scheduled to continue through late May. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers excused Musk from the witness stand Thursday, but he may be called back later.<\/p>\n
During the cross-examination, Savitt also asked Musk about his companies \u2014 Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink and X \u2014 and whether they were all for-profit. Musk replied yes, and affirmed that he believes all of these companies are \u201csocially beneficial.\u201d<\/p>\n
Savitt then asked why Musk hasn\u2019t started a nonprofit himself, eight years after he left OpenAI.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I had started a nonprofit with OpenAI but they stole it,\u201d Musk replied, adding that this is \u201cthe entire basis of this lawsuit.\u201d<\/p>\n
#Elon #Musk #testy #stand #thought #started #nonprofit #OpenAI #stole<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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