Bill Savitt, a lawyer for OpenAI, told reporters after the verdict that Musk’s lawsuit was an “after-the-fact contrivance that bears no relationship to reality,” and jurors “kicked it exactly where it belongs, which is to the side.”
“The finding of the jury confirms that what this lawsuit was, was a hypocritical attempt to sabotage a competitor, and to overcome a long history of very bad predictions about what OpenAI has been and will become,” Savitt said.
The verdict followed 11 days of testimony and arguments where Musk‘s and Altman’s credibility came under repeated attack.
Microsoft faced an aiding and abetting claim. In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson said, “The facts and the timeline in this case have long been clear and we welcome the jury’s decision to dismiss these claims as untimely.”
Microsoft has spent more than US$100 billion on its partnership with OpenAI, a Microsoft executive testified.
OPENAI PREPARES FOR IPO
People use AI for myriad purposes such as education, facial recognition, financial advice, journalism, legal research, medical diagnoses, and harmful deep-fakes.
Many people express distrust of the technology and worry it could displace people from their jobs.
Each side accused the other of being more interested in money than serving the public.
Musk accused OpenAI of wrongfully trying to enrich investors and insiders at the nonprofit’s expense, and failing to prioritize AI’s safety. He also contended that Microsoft knew all along that OpenAI cared more about money than being altruistic.
In his closing argument, Musk‘s lawyer Steven Molo reminded jurors that several witnesses questioned Altman’s candor or branded him a liar, and that Altman did not give an unqualified yes when asked during the trial if he was completely trustworthy.
“Sam Altman’s credibility is directly at issue,” Molo said. “If you don’t believe him, they cannot win.”
Sarah Eddy, a lawyer for the OpenAI defendants, accused Musk and his legal team in her closing arguments of resorting to “sound bites and irrelevant false accusations.”
SpaceX is preparing an IPO that could exceed OpenAI’s in size.
