Elon Musk testified in court as the first witness in his lawsuit against OpenAI, Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and Microsoft, telling the jury he has long warned about the risks of artificial intelligence. [1]
Musk cast himself as a leading advocate for AI safety and said developers should be free from pressure to generate financial returns if they are to prevent serious harms from advanced systems. He argued that profit incentives can push companies to move too fast. [1]
He also acknowledged that his own AI company, xAI, is for-profit, but he did not give details, citing a Securities and Exchange Commission quiet period after SpaceX acquired it. [1]
Musk told the court he met then-President Barack Obama in 2015 to warn him about AI risks. In the same testimony, he said, "I really just wanted to warn him about AI." [1]
OpenAI lead counsel William Savitt pressed Musk on that account, asking, "Has anyone but you ever made the claim that your meeting with President Obama was about AI safety?" Savitt suggested Musk's concern grew when others controlled AI and challenged Musk's claim to be the main safety advocate. [1]
The testimony came in April 2026, when Musk took the stand as the first witness in the case. [1]