Oakland, United States. A federal jury in Oakland ruled against Elon Musk in his lawsuit against OpenAI, finding the artificial intelligence company not liable and concluding Musk brought the case too late. The verdict was unanimous, and the jury deliberated for less than two hours.
Verdict and potential appeal
After the verdict, Musk’s lawyer said he reserved the right to appeal. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said an appeal could be difficult because whether the statute of limitations expired before Musk sued was a factual issue, adding that there was substantial evidence to support the jury’s finding.
Claims in Musk’s lawsuit
In his 2024 lawsuit, Musk accused OpenAI, Chief Executive Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman of manipulating him into contributing $38 million, then attaching a for-profit business to its original nonprofit and accepting tens of billions of dollars from Microsoft MSFT.O and other investors. Musk described the conduct as “stealing a charity.”
OpenAI’s response and background
OpenAI said Musk waited too long to claim it breached its founding agreement to build safe artificial intelligence to benefit humanity, and argued it was Musk who sought financial gain. OpenAI was founded by Altman, Musk and others in 2015; Musk left its board in 2018, and OpenAI set up a for-profit business the following year. In closing arguments, William Savitt, a lawyer for OpenAI, said, “Mr. Musk may have the Midas touch in some areas, but not in AI.”
Broader significance
The trial had been widely seen as a critical moment for the future of OpenAI and artificial intelligence, including questions about how the technology should be used and who should benefit from it.
What do you think the verdict means for future disputes over the mission and governance of artificial intelligence companies?
