In brief
A California jury has ruled against Elon Musk in his lawsuit against OpenAI, with a unanimous decision stating that Musk's claims were time-barred. Musk accused OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman of breaching a contract related to the organization's transition from non-profit to for-profit. The jurors found that Musk failed to file his complaint within the required timeframe, effectively dismissing the case. Musk has indicated plans to appeal the decision, labeling the ruling a 'free license to loot charities.' OpenAI representatives called the verdict a victory for justice and reaffirmed their commitment to their mission.
A California jury has tossed out Elon Musk's high-profile lawsuit against OpenAI and its boss Sam Altman. In a unanimous verdict, the jury agreed that Musk had waited too long to file his lawsuit, leaving all of his claims essentially expired. Musk had accused Altman of breaching a non-profit contract by shifting the ChatGPT-maker to a for-profit company after Musk donated $38m (£28.5m) early in OpenAI's history. Musk claimed Altman had deceived him by accepting his money and then reneging on OpenAI's original non-profit mission to develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology for the benefit of humanity.Jurors spent just about two hours on Monday deliberating on the case, but they had spent three weeks viewing internal correspondence and hearing testimony from Musk, Altman, and other tech industry executives, including Microsoft's chief executive Satya Nadella. Musk had accused Microsoft of aiding and abetting OpenAI in its allegedly improper transition to a more for-profit company.Musk's other claims against Microsoft were dismissed as a matter of law given the jury's findings on the claims against OpenAI. A spokesperson for Microsoft stated the facts and timeline in this case had long been clear and affirmed their commitment to OpenAI.The jury's decision marks another loss for Musk in recent legal battles and reflects the tense relationship between him and Altman, which intensified as Altman gained acclaim and wealth through the success of ChatGPT. After the verdict, Musk criticized the decision as creating 'a free license to loot charities' and accused the overseeing judge of bias. He plans to file an appeal, asserting that the jury's ruling focused on a 'calendar technicality' instead of the merits of his claims.Legal experts suggest that appeals in such cases are typically difficult, with courts hesitant to overturn fact-specific jury decisions. Musk's situation illustrates the growing tensions in the tech sector, particularly concerning the profit motives underlying AI development.}
