The court overseeing Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI for violating its charitable mission has ordered the deposition of the company's former chief technology officer (CTO), Mira Murati. Musk's lawyers want to uncover details about the extent to which OpenAI CEO Altman sidelined safety procedures in favor of commercial interests. The order came after the deposition of OpenAI co-founder and former chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, which took place last week. Lawyers for OpenAI and Microsoft opposed Murati's deposition, arguing that Musk had missed the deadline and that it would give him an unfair advantage. However, Musk's lawyers said they had attempted to serve Murati with a deposition subpoena a total of eleven times, without success. The court ultimately ruled that OpenAI was mistaken about the timing and that Musk's motion had merit.
Information from Ilya Sutskever
Elon Musk's lawyers are seeking further details from Ilya Sutskever about his financial interests in OpenAI, including possible rights to the company's future profits. They also want to obtain a document called the "Brockman Memo," which apparently relates to OpenAI president and co-founder Greg Brockman. Sutskever's lawyers argue that details of his financial interests are protected by the constitutional right to privacy. The court initially rejected Musk's request because the document was filed after midnight on the day of the deadline. Musk's lawyers explained that they encountered a technical issue that delayed the filing until 12:08 a.m. The court is now asking Musk's team to explain whether their filing attempts meet the criteria for an extension of the deadline.
Details of the Dispute Between Musk and OpenAI
These events represent the latest discovery disputes in the lawsuit between Elon Musk and OpenAI. Lawyers for both sides frequently ask the court to intervene to compel the opposing party to provide more documents. Elon Musk, who is a co-founder and early financial backer of OpenAI, is suing the creator of ChatGPT on various claims, including that OpenAI allegedly violated its charitable mission by operating as a for-profit company. According to recent information available online, such as the deposition of Mira Murati, who briefly served as interim CEO during Altman's ouster in late 2023, Musk's team is seeking to clarify internal decisions concerning safety and OpenAI's restructuring as a for-profit entity. Ilya Sutskever resigned in May 2024 after initially supporting Altman's ouster but later expressing regret.
OpenAI's Opposition and Further Developments
OpenAI describes Musk's legal action as a harassment tactic intended to slow the company down for Musk's personal benefit. According to information available online, the court rejected Musk's attempt to block OpenAI in March 2025, siding with the company and stating that Musk's actions served his own interests. Musk's team continues to seek internal communications, including the Brockman Memo, which could reveal debates about safety and power struggles within OpenAI. These disputes affect the entire artificial intelligence sector because they involve questions of governance and transparency. OpenAI insists that it remains faithful to its original mission and has filed a countersuit against Musk for harassment.
Source: theinformation.com
