Musk vs. Altman: The OpenAI Trial Is a Mess, and That’s the Point

The trial between Elon Musk and OpenAI is officially underway. And it is going to be a mess.

Two of the most powerful figures in AI are now airing their grievances in court, fighting over who deserves credit for the early days of the technology, who should get paid, and what the hell OpenAI actually is supposed to be. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to hear a lot of important people’s secrets made extremely public. Which may be exactly what Musk is going for.

Let’s be real: Musk doesn’t do anything without a theatrical angle. He’s not just suing for money or principle — he’s dragging Sam Altman and the entire OpenAI board into a public spectacle. And he’s good at that.

The Verge’s Liz Lopatto joined the latest Vergecast to break down how this case got here, from the original founding drama to the messy breakup, and why the trial is shaping up to be less about legal precedent and more about personal grudges.

If you’re a Verge subscriber, you get ad-free access to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts. Not a subscriber? You can sign up here.

But honestly, the key takeaway is this: no one looks good here. OpenAI has spent years trying to position itself as the responsible, safety-first AI company, but the internal emails and depositions coming out are going to show just how messy the early days really were. Meanwhile, Musk is playing the victim, but he’s also the guy who left the board and then spent years complaining from the sidelines.

This trial is going to be a circus. But it’s also going to be fascinating — if you care about how the most important tech of our time actually got built, you’re going to want to pay attention.

Read the full story at The Verge.