Musk Accused of 'Selective Amnesia,' Altman of Lying as OpenAI Trial Nears End

Closing arguments have concluded in the federal trial where Elon Musk sues OpenAI and its leaders for breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment. Musk’s legal team accused CEO Sam Altman of lying and prioritizing investor enrichment over AI safety, seeking approximately $150 billion in damages and the removal of Altman and President Greg Brockman. Conversely, OpenAI’s lawyers characterized Musk’s claims as baseless, accusing him of 'selective amnesia' regarding his knowledge of the company's necessary shift to a for-profit model. They argued that Musk attempted to gain control over Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) development and filed the lawsuit past the statute of limitations. The defense highlighted that Musk, despite his business sophistication, claimed ignorance of key term sheets from 2018. Microsoft, also named in the suit, maintained it was a responsible partner unaware of any wrongful conduct. The trial, held in Oakland, California, underscores growing public and legal scrutiny over AI governance and corporate structure as the technology increasingly penetrates society.