Musk v Altman: The most toxic row in tech goes on trial

Musk v Altman: The most toxic row in tech goes on trialJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleLily JamaliNorth America technology correspondentWhy Elon Musk and Sam Altman are fighting over OpenAIThe bitter feud between Elon Musk and OpenAI boss Sam Altman has raged for years, but has mostly played out online in the form of accusations, counter-accusations and jibes.But starting on Tuesday, the beef between the two tech billionaires will shift to a much higher-profile forum: a federal courtroom in California, where their row will be the focus of a month-long trial.Being considered is Musk's claim that Altman - with whom he founded OpenAI - has swindled him out of millions of dollars and reneged on the ChatGPT-maker's original non-profit mission.Musk and Altman themselves will be among those to testify in a case in which the future of AI could be at stake. And while one will presumably emerge the winner, it's plausible that neither will emerge from the saga unscathed.The brawl has been likened to two heavyweight boxers heading into the ring. One observer compares it to King Kong taking on Godzilla."Musk and Altman are so big, so larger than life, and so unrelatable," says University of San Diego professor Sarah Federman, who specialises in conflict resolution. "That's what makes them so delicious to watch as they clash."Now, a nine-person jury sworn in on Monday will help determine the outcome under the oversight of Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who has promised that the wealth, power and celebrity Musk and Altman bring to the federal courthouse in Oakland will afford them "no special treatment".Musk is also suing OpenAI and its co-founder and president Greg Brockman, along with Microsoft, whom he said aided in the scheme to monetise the company - claims which Microsoft denies.Musk is asking for billions of dollars in what his lawyers call "wrongful gains" that he wants used to fund OpenAI's non-pro...