Elon Musk told a federal court that artificial intelligence "could kill us all" as the trial in his lawsuit against OpenAI and chief executive Sam Altman opened on Tuesday. The warning put AI safety at the centre of a high-profile legal fight over the future of one of the world's biggest technology groups.
The case began in Oakland and focuses on Musk's claim that OpenAI moved away from its original non-profit mission and became a for-profit business. He alleges the shift misled him after he helped found the organisation.
The trial is expected to run for several weeks and could shape how one of the most valuable AI companies explains its commercial model and original purpose.
Core Dispute
Musk said society should avoid a "dark future" similar to the Terminator films and pursue a more hopeful path.
"We don't want to have a Terminator outcome. We want to be in a Gene Roddenberry outcome, like Star Trek. Not so much a James Cameron movie like Terminator," Musk said.
He also said his concerns about AI date back years and described a conversation in 2015 with Larry Page.
According to Musk, Page said AI would create a "utopia" when he raised safety concerns. Musk told the court that when he warned AI could wipe out humanity, Page called him a "speciesist".
Next Hearing
Musk, who also leads Tesla and SpaceX, said AI is advancing quickly and may surpass human intelligence soon.
"That day is approaching fast," he said. "I have extreme concerns about AI; I have had concerns about AI for a very long time."
The court will now hear arguments over whether OpenAI's transformation broke commitments made when the group was founded.
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