OpenAI and Musk agree to fast tracked trial over for-profit shift

15/3/2025 14:59

OpenAI and Elon Musk have agreed to fast-track a trial over OpenAI's for-profit shift, the latest turn in a grudge match between the world's richest person and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman playing out publicly in court.



Billionaire Elon Musk and OpenAI jointly proposed a trial in December, according to a federal court filing on Friday.



The parties agreed to delay a decision on whether the expedited case will be decided by a jury or solely by the judge, said the filing in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.



The judge this month denied Musk's request to pause the artificial intelligence group's transition to a for-profit model but agreed to an expedited trial in the autumn, the latest turn in the high-stakes legal fight.



OpenAI said in a blog post on Friday, "We welcome the court's March 4 decision rejecting Elon Musk's latest attempt to slow down OpenAI for his personal benefit."



Musk cofounded OpenAI with Altman in 2015 but left before the company took off and subsequently founded the competing startup xAI in 2023.



Last year, the CEO of Tesla and owner of the X social media platform sued OpenAi and Altman, accusing OpenAI of straying from its founding mission — to develop AI for the good of humanity, not corporate profit.