Why trust is a big question at the Elon Musk-OpenAI trial
The trial involving Elon Musk and OpenAI has concluded, with jurors now tasked with determining if OpenAI acted improperly. A central theme of the trial has been the trustworthiness of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, particularly in light of Musk's attorney questioning his credibility. This issue of trust extends beyond Altman, raising broader concerns about transparency in the AI industry as a whole.
- ▪Lawyers for Elon Musk and OpenAI presented their closing arguments this week.
- ▪The trial has focused on whether OpenAI's transition to a more profit-oriented model was appropriate.
- ▪Trust in leadership, especially regarding Sam Altman, has emerged as a significant concern during the trial.
4 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 34 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: centre. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
- ▪ Elon Musk loses case over OpenAI’s future - Morning Brew — Google News
- ▪ Following: Elon loses the OpenAI trial — Platformer
- ▪ Elon Musk and Sam Altman face off in OpenAI lawsuit trial — Crypto Briefing
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| Canonical URL | https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/17/why-trust-is-a-big-question-at-the-elon-musk-openai-trial/ |
| Publication time | Sun, 17 May 2026 19:46:34 +0000 |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Lawyers for Elon Musk and OpenAI made their closing arguments this week, and now it’s up to jurors to decide whether OpenAI did anything wrong as it’s transformed into a slightly-more-for-profit organization. But as Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and I noted on the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, a big theme in the trial’s final days was whether OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is trustworthy — for example, Musk’s attorney Steve Molo grilled Altman about whether statements he’d made during congressional testimony were truthful. Kirsten noted that Musk has made plenty of misleading statements of his own, and that trust isn’t just an issue for Altman.
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