In his testimony, Elon Musk accused OpenAI’s lawyer of using overly complicated questions to 'trick' him during cross-examination. The billionaire is suing fellow co-founder Sam Altman and the AI firm, alleging they misled him by shifting the organisation away from its non-profit roots towards a for-profit model.

Musk, who has created many for-profit companies himself, maintains that he deliberately chose to establish OpenAI as a non-profit entity for the public good. However, OpenAI counters that Musk’s lawsuit is motivated by jealousy and regret over leaving in 2018. The case, which could have profound implications for the AI industry, involves claims of breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment.

The legal battle centres around a year after OpenAI released its successful ChatGPT platform. Musk launched his own AI startup, xAI, as a for-profit company in 2023, one year later than ChatGPT’s market entry. Savitt highlighted this decision as evidence that Musk is using the lawsuit to undermine OpenAI.

OpenAI maintains that Musk understood its transition and was outvoted rather than betrayed. Meanwhile, Musk argues that he donated $38m to the non-profit, which has been used exactly as intended in service of the mission.

The trial, lasting several weeks, highlights tensions between public good and profit motives in AI development. Stay tuned for further developments in this high-stakes legal saga.