Tech billionaires Elon Musk and Sam Altman have gone on trial in a high-stakes legal battle over the origins and direction of OpenAI, in a case that could influence the future balance of power in artificial intelligence.
Jury selection began Monday in Oakland, California, marking the start of proceedings in a lawsuit that centres on OpenAI’s founding in 2015 as a nonprofit organisation and its later transition into a highly valued commercial enterprise now worth an estimated $852 billion.
Musk, who initially helped fund the company with around $38 million, alleges that Altman and other executives deviated from OpenAI’s original mission of developing AI for the public good and instead shifted toward profit-driven operations without proper transparency.
The lawsuit accuses Altman and OpenAI leadership of “betrayal” and deceptive conduct, claims the company has dismissed as unfounded and motivated by Musk’s rivalry with OpenAI through his own AI firm, xAI.
The case is being heard by US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, with jurors also providing advisory input. The judge questioned potential jurors about their views on Musk, Altman and artificial intelligence, noting that some expressed negative opinions about Musk but said they could remain fair.
Musk, the world’s richest person, has sought damages that were once valued at more than $100 billion, though pre-trial rulings have significantly reduced the scope of his claim.
The trial also comes at a sensitive time for Musk, who recently faced separate legal findings involving investor deception in his Twitter acquisition, while OpenAI continues to expand rapidly in the global AI race.
Altman, whose public prominence rose sharply after the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, is expected to testify alongside Musk, with the proceedings likely to expose internal communications and early discussions about AI safety and commercialisation.
The case is widely seen as a defining legal confrontation in the technology sector, with potential implications for how artificial intelligence companies are structured and governed in the future.