Elon Musk returned to the witness stand for a second day in a San Francisco courtroom on Tuesday, facing tough questioning about his past public statements regarding OpenAI. The legal battle centers on whether Musk’s early financial support for the artificial intelligence research lab was a personal investment or a binding agreement that later shifted OpenAI’s direction. Court documents show Musk provided over 45 million dollars in funding before 2019, when he left the organization’s board. His departure followed public criticism of OpenAI’s shift from nonprofit to for-profit status, a change he opposed in interviews and on social media.
During cross-examination, the plaintiff’s legal team presented dozens of Musk’s own tweets and public posts from 2015 to 2018. These posts include statements such as “OpenAI is the most important company in the world” and “I am deeply involved in making sure AI is safe and beneficial.” The posts were used to argue that Musk’s enthusiasm was not just personal opinion but part of a commitment to OpenAI’s original mission. One tweet from 2016 read: “I’m still very much involved with OpenAI and believe in its nonprofit mission.”
Musk’s testimony focused on his belief that OpenAI’s move toward commercialization violated its founding principles. He claimed that by 2018, he saw clear signs the organization was prioritizing profit over safety. His lawyers argued that his tweets were aspirational and not legally binding promises. But the plaintiff’s team countered that his repeated public endorsements created expectations and obligations, especially among early supporters and donors.
The hearing continues with further testimony expected on Wednesday. The case could determine whether Musk’s past actions and statements legally bind him to OpenAI’s original nonprofit structure, potentially affecting future AI governance debates.
Source: techcrunch.com