Elon Musk appeared in a California federal court to argue that Sam Altman and the co-founders of OpenAI “stole a charity,” but left with a statement under oath that Tesla is not pursuing artificial general intelligence (AGI), directly contradicting a recent tweet. The day was filled with contradictions, as Musk testified for hours about his early support for transitioning OpenAI to a for-profit status and his eventual suspicions regarding the company’s intentions.

During cross-examination, Musk faced questions about his investments in both OpenAI and Tesla's AI ambitions, admitting that he had discussed converting the lab to a for-profit entity as far back as 2016. He also admitted that he continued to pay for OpenAI’s office space until 2020 despite stopping regular donations. The court’s focus on harm prevention highlighted the potential risks of reducing an AI company's safety focus, but Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers signaled she would not allow discussions about specific AI incidents.

Musk will return to the stand Thursday for further questioning, and other key witnesses such as Jared Birchall, Stuart Russell, and Greg Brockman are expected to testify. The case may ultimately hinge on whether jurors see a significant difference between capped and uncapped investor profits at OpenAI.