Musk testifies for a second day in a suit that could change artificial intelligence

Source Domain: www.cnn.com

Elon Musk took the stand for a second day of testimony against OpenAI and its leaders in a lawsuit that could reshape the future of artificial intelligence, as the emerging technology has sent ripples through the economy and financial markets.

Musk claims OpenAI betrayed its initial nonprofit mission when it changed its corporate structure; OpenAI, for its part, claims Musk’s suit is meant to derail its position as a competitor to his own artificial intelligence company, xAI.

The trial comes as OpenAI is planning what could be a blockbuster IPO – and potentially a cash infusion that could help the company cement its early lead in a global race to dominate AI.

Much of the early questioning on Wednesday focused on early internal emails between Musk and OpenAI executives over possible plans to include a for-profit structure.

Musk said he was fine with a for-profit “as long as it was a subsidiary of the nonprofit.”

“What you can’t have is the for-profit become the main event, and that’s what we have here,” he told the court.

Musk was questioned about his direction of the head of his family office, Jared Birchall, to register a for-profit public benefit corporation in 2017 in OpenAI’s name, saying he did so “in case it was needed.”

In emails presented as evidence, Musk was also shown saying he needs to have control of the proposed corporation.

“I needed to make sure it would go in the right direction and I was providing almost all the money,” he told the court.

When the other co-founders expressed concern over such a set up, Musk told the court he believed they had “gone back on what they had previously agreed” and “what they really wanted to do is create a for-profit where they had as much…

Source