Musk Slams OpenAI's "Bait-and-Switch" in Court Testimony

Elon Musk testified for a second day in his civil trial against OpenAI, describing his reaction to Microsoft's $10 billion investment in the company. He told a jury he texted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, calling the move a "bait-and-switch." Musk said he asked Altman, "What the hell is going on?" after learning about the investment in the fall of 2022. He co-founded OpenAI with Altman more than a decade ago. Musk is seeking to convince the jury that OpenAI, Altman, and OpenAI president Greg Brockman were "unjustly enriched to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars." He explained his anger, stating that Microsoft would only invest such a large sum if they expected a return. Musk also expressed concern that Microsoft would effectively control artificial general intelligence, which was started by a charity. Trial evidence shows Musk texted Altman that he was "disturbed to see OpenAl with a $20B valuation." Altman responded that they had offered Musk equity earlier, which he declined. Musk sued OpenAI, Altman, and Brockman in 2024 over the company's transition to a for-profit entity. He claims he invested $38 million to support a nonprofit mission and was "betrayed" by the company's transformation. This matters because it highlights the ongoing legal battle surrounding the mission and structure of a major AI company.