OpenAI Seeks to Present Donkey Statue as Evidence in Musk Trial
Original: OpenAI Brings Its Ass to Court
Why This Matters
Highlights ongoing tensions between AI safety advocates and rapid development proponents
OpenAI requested to show a gold donkey statue inscribed 'Never stop being a jackass for safety' as evidence in the Musk v. Altman trial. The trophy allegedly commemorates Elon Musk calling employee Joshua Achiam a 'jackass' during a 2018 safety dispute.
During Wednesday's proceedings in Musk v. Altman, OpenAI lawyer Bradley Wilson presented Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers with a small gold donkey statue depicting a rear end with the inscription 'Never stop being a jackass for safety.' OpenAI claims employees gave the trophy to chief futurist Joshua Achiam, who interrupted Musk's 2018 departure speech to warn about safety concerns regarding AGI development at Tesla. Wilson said the statue commemorates Musk allegedly calling Achiam a 'jackass' in response. When questioned earlier, Musk acknowledged it was 'possible' he used such language but said it wasn't meant offensively. The judge indicated she might allow it during testimony but expressed reluctance to accept it as official evidence, stating 'I don't want it.'