Musk lawyer says OpenAI 'stole a charity,' as trial against AI firm, Sam Altman begins

By Deepa Seetharaman and Kenrick Cai

OAKLAND, California, April 28 (Reuters) - A lawyer for Elon Musk told jurors astatine the commencement of a high-stakes proceedings against OpenAI connected Tuesday that the defendants undermined his imaginativeness that artificial quality beryllium utilized to payment society, due to the fact that the defendants were funny successful collecting riches for themselves.

"The defendants successful the lawsuit stole a charity, ‌and we're asking you to clasp them accountable," Musk's lawyer Steven Molo told jurors successful his opening connection successful an Oakland, California, national court.

Musk is suing OpenAI, its Chief Executive Sam ‌Altman and its President Greg Brockman, saying they betrayed him and the nationalist by abandoning the ChatGPT maker's ngo to beryllium a benevolent steward of AI for humanity, and transforming the nonprofit into a profit-seeking juggernaut.

A defence lawyer volition marque an opening connection aboriginal ​on Tuesday. Musk, Altman and Brockman attended the trial.

Musk, the world's richest person, is seeking $150 cardinal successful damages from OpenAI and Microsoft, 1 of its largest investors, with proceeds going to OpenAI’s charitable arm.

He besides wants OpenAI to revert to a nonprofit, with Altman and Brockman removed arsenic officers and Altman removed from its board. Musk's claims see breach of charitable spot and unjust enrichment.

Even earlier jurors were seated, determination was struggle arsenic OpenAI lawyers complained astir Musk's posts connected X connected Monday, successful which helium assailed Altman arsenic “Scam Altman” and accused him of stealing a charity.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said she was loath to contented a gag order, and urged Musk ‌to "try to power your propensity to usage societal media to marque things ⁠work extracurricular the courtroom … Perhaps you’ve ne'er done that before."

Musk agreed to minimize his societal media activity, arsenic did Altman.

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OpenAI was co-founded by Musk and Altman successful 2015 with a extremity of processing AI to payment humanity and fend disconnected rivals specified arsenic Google.

Molo said "Elon became much worried" arsenic the exertion advanced, and collaborated with ⁠Altman to "develop AI safely" aft a gathering with U.S. President Barack Obama successful 2015 did not code AI's risks.

"It wasn't a conveyance for radical to get rich," Molo said.

Molo said Musk yet recruited apical AI scientists similar Ilya Sutskever, contributed effect backing to OpenAI, and leveraged relationships to onslaught a concern with Microsoft.

"He developed a strategy. He taught them each helium knows astir gathering a business," Molo said. "Without Elon Musk, determination would beryllium nary OpenAI."