Elon Musk Takes Stand in OpenAI Lawsuit, Admits xAI Used Competitor Technology for Model Training
Elon Musk testified in his lawsuit against OpenAI's Sam Altman, revealing that his xAI startup used OpenAI's technology for model training through a process called distillation. The high-stakes trial centers on alleged breaches of OpenAI's original non-profit mission.
Musk's Courtroom Testimony
Elon Musk says his xAI startup's models were partially trained on OpenAI's tech. Elon's lawsuit against OpenAI is really not about Grok, but a line of questioning this morning veered into how xAI trains its AI models, potentially using their competitor's technology, with Musk explaining that distillation means to use one AI model to train another.
Defense of Industry Practice
Musk noted that it was a common practice among the labs, with observers noting it was a brief exchange and OpenAI's lawyer did not seem to want to pursue it further after Musk affirmed the practice.
Broader Legal Context
Elon Musk painted himself as an innovator trying to help humanity flourish when he took the stand in the trial over his lawsuit against ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. Hundreds of court filings have revealed cringey texts, emails or private diary entries of Musk, Sam Altman, other OpenAI founders and other public figures.