Musk Testifies He Started OpenAI to Prevent 'Terminator Outcome'
Original: Elon Musk Testifies That He Started OpenAI to Prevent a ‘Terminator Outcome’
Why This Matters
The case could reshape OpenAI's governance and complicate its planned IPO this year.
Elon Musk testified in federal court that he co-founded OpenAI as a nonprofit to prevent catastrophic AI scenarios, comparing potential risks to the Terminator movie franchise. The trial centers on OpenAI's transformation from nonprofit to for-profit structure.
Musk and Sam Altman appeared together in federal court for the first time as Musk sued OpenAI over its evolution from nonprofit to for-profit. Musk testified he was concerned about AI safety since college and met with Barack Obama in 2015 about AI regulation. After government inaction, he partnered with then-30-year-old investor Altman to create OpenAI as a nonprofit alternative to Google's AI development. Musk said he feared AI could 'kill all of us' in a 'Terminator outcome' but also believed it could cure diseases. He supported a small for-profit arm initially but opposed Microsoft's $10 billion investment in 2023, claiming it violated OpenAI's original mission. The judge warned both sides about social media attacks during proceedings.