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OpenAI Trial: Murati Questions Altman’s Candor as Zilis Describes Musk’s Tesla Push

The trial could reset OpenAI’s governance pending liability and remedies later this month.

Overview

  • Shivon Zilis, who testified Wednesday, denied acting as Elon Musk’s proxy and said he floated folding OpenAI into Tesla and offered Sam Altman a Tesla board seat.
  • Mira Murati, in a sworn video deposition, said Altman was not always truthful, undermined her as CTO, and once falsely claimed lawyers cleared a model to bypass an internal safety board.
  • Murati also said Microsoft had a 6–12 month exclusivity window to commercialize OpenAI technology and that staff, not Microsoft, organized the 2023 petition to reinstate Altman.
  • A former safety researcher, Rosie Campbell, testified that OpenAI cut long‑term safety teams and at times launched products without full safety review or board awareness.
  • The advisory jury is weighing liability in Musk’s suit alleging OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit mission, and the judge could order damages or governance changes later in May.