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Judge also harshly rebukes Musk for "not wanting money in the trial" remark
Musk absent from trial, accompanying Trump on China visit...Lawyer apologizes to jury
The final arguments in the lawsuit between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, dubbed the 'AI trial of the century,' concluded with a fierce battle, each side accusing the other of being a 'liar' and an 'amnesiac.'
Stephen Molo, the lawyer representing Musk, launched a concentrated attack on Altman's lack of credibility during his closing argument at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Oakland Division, on the 14th (local time), as reported by AP, Reuters, and U.S. economic broadcaster CNBC.
He cited that five witnesses, including Musk and former OpenAI directors and executives, testified that Altman was a 'liar,' emphasizing, "Altman's credibility is a direct issue in this case."
He argued that unlike Altman, Musk wanted his funds not to be used for personal gain, stating, "Elon wanted OpenAI to remain a charity. He didn't want the non-profit organization to disappear."
In response, OpenAI's lawyers criticized Musk, saying he "suffers from selective amnesia," as he couldn't recall past discussions about OpenAI's commercialization in which he participated.
They pointed out, "Musk wanted to convert OpenAI into a for-profit company that he could control," but "other co-founders refused to hand over the leadership of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) to one person, and even more so refused to hand it over to Musk."
They further mocked, "Musk may have the 'Midas touch' in some areas, but not in AI," adding, "The only thing he can do to succeed in the AI field is to come to court."
Amidst the ongoing verbal sparring between the two sides, lawyer Molo was also reprimanded by the court for stating that Musk did not want money from this lawsuit.
Judge Rogers warned, "(Musk) has claimed restitution of billions of dollars in unjust enrichment," and ordered him to retract the statement or waive the claim for billions of dollars.
In this lawsuit, Musk has demanded the dismissal of two OpenAI executives, Altman and Brockman, and the return of $134 billion (approximately 198 trillion KRW) in unjust enrichment they acquired to the OpenAI Foundation, a non-profit parent organization.
Both legal representatives agreed to correct the statement before the jury.
The nine-member jury plans to deliberate on the 18th.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is presiding over the trial, and representatives from both sides will reappear in court on the day of deliberation to discuss the direction of OpenAI's restructuring and the amount of compensation if Musk wins. If Musk loses, there will be no special measures.
Meanwhile, Musk was absent from the closing arguments today as he was part of U.S. President Donald Trump's delegation to China.
Lawyer Molo conveyed the news of the absence of his client and witness, appealing to the jury for sincerity by stating, "This lawsuit is something he is very passionate about."
Judge Rogers had previously ordered Musk to be 'on call' to appear in court within a short time if necessary.
A court spokesperson stated that they did not know if Musk had received travel permission from the judge, and Musk's legal team did not respond to inquiries.
In contrast, the defendants, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and President Greg Brockman, were all present at the trial today.
Outside the courthouse, a protest was held, accusing both sides of harming the environment, labor force, and people's mental health.
About 10 protesters held signs saying 'Stop replacing healthcare workers with chatbots' and 'No future for workers in a Musk-Altman fascist world,' accusing the two CEOs of developing AI for their greed, not for the benefit of humanity.
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