Musk v. Altman Trial Begins: Jury Selected Despite Jurors' Negative Views of Elon Musk

A nine-person jury was seated Monday in federal court in Oakland for the high-stakes lawsuit Musk v. Altman, where Elon Musk challenges whether Sam Altman and OpenAI improperly steered the nonprofit away from its original mission. The jury selection process revealed a notable tension: several potential jurors openly voiced negative opinions about Musk himself, yet Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers determined that Americans with unfavorable views of the billionaire could still be fair and impartial. Only one juror was ultimately excused based on strong negative opinions about Musk, while the others assured the court they could set aside their outside views.

The selected jury is notably diverse, including a painter, a former Lockheed Martin employee, and a psychiatrist—some of whom also expressed reservations about AI technology broadly. Yet all assured the court their personal views wouldn't interfere with their ability to determine the facts. Notably, Judge Gonzalez Rogers emphasized that "many people don't like him," signaling the uphill battle Musk faces even before opening arguments begin. The verdict will be advisory, with the judge retaining final authority.

Musk was conspicuously absent from the courthouse Monday, while OpenAI's Sam Altman and Greg Brockman appeared in the security line. The billionaire wasted no time working the court of public opinion—he promoted a weeks-old New Yorker investigation into Altman's alleged deceptive conduct via his X platform on the trial's opening day, a calculated move that signaled his strategy extends beyond the courtroom. OpenAI's attorney William Savitt expressed confidence in the jury and the strength of their case, stating "The hurdle we think we need to get over is just to present the truth here."

Outside the courthouse, protesters demanded a pause on AI development altogether, while journalists packed overflow rooms to follow the proceedings. Opening statements and the first witness testimony are scheduled for Tuesday, setting the stage for what promises to be a defining case in the ongoing power struggle over OpenAI's direction and the future of artificial general intelligence development.