In federal court on Tuesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testified about his leadership and disputed claims made by co‑founder Elon Musk. The courtroom exchange came as Musk, who has since launched his own AI company, is suing Altman and OpenAI.
Musk’s lawsuit alleges that OpenAI abandoned its original status as a neutral nonprofit and effectively “flipped” into a for‑profit enterprise. During testimony, Altman pushed back on that characterization and defended his decisions and the company’s direction.
The hearing centers on whether OpenAI’s governance and business changes departed from the nonprofit intent its founders described, and whether those changes harmed early backers. Altman’s remarks sought to explain his role and the rationale behind organizational choices as the company scaled.
The case highlights broader tensions in the tech world over how to fund and govern fast‑moving AI development while balancing safety, mission and commercial pressure. The trial will continue to probe internal decisions at OpenAI and the competing narratives offered by its leadership and its now‑litigating co‑founder.