Elon Musk’s grand courtroom performance against OpenAI took a sharp turn on Wednesday when he admitted under oath that Tesla is not pursuing artificial general intelligence (AGI). This directly contradicts his own X post from weeks earlier claiming “Tesla will be one of the companies to make AGI.” The admission came during cross-examination by OpenAI’s lawyer, who methodically dismantled Musk’s narrative that he was duped into backing a nonprofit that later sold out for profit. Musk now insists there’s a clear line between capped and uncapped investor returns, even as evidence showed he explored converting OpenAI into a for-profit as early as 2016 and even proposed taking majority control.
The Tweet Trap: Musk’s Own Words Become His Worst Enemy
The courtroom spectacle revealed Musk’s chronic habit of overpromising. When asked about his claim of investing $100 million in OpenAI, he conceded only $38 million actually changed hands, arguing his reputation and network made up the difference. The judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, seemed unimpressed. Musk also admitted that all AI companies, including his own xAI, face the same safety risks he accuses OpenAI of ignoring. Judge Rogers shut down attempts to blame ChatGPT for a recent mass shooting, but signaled she will allow deeper comparison of safety protocols between xAI and OpenAI when questioning resumes.
Tesla’s AI Ambitions Exposed as Conflicted
Perhaps most damaging for Musk is the revelation that while he was still on OpenAI’s board, he orchestrated poaching efforts through Tesla and Neuralink. His longtime adviser and mother of his children, Shivon Zilis, who also sat on OpenAI’s board when it approved key funding transactions, suggested recruiting OpenAI’s top talent for Tesla. The trial highlights a tangled web of conflict: Musk pushed to integrate OpenAI into Tesla, then walked away when he didn’t get control, only to launch xAI. With Tesla shareholders watching, the AGI denial raises serious questions about whether Musk’s other ventures are being sacrificed for his rivalry with Altman.
Source: Techcrunch
