In court, Murati accused Altman of lying about AI safety standards

At the Musk v. Altman court proceedings on Wednesday, a video deposition of Mira Murati, former CTO of OpenAI, was presented. Murati testified under oath that CEO Sam Altman lied to her about safety standards for a new AI model, which could have serious consequences for the company's reputation and leadership.

Murati's Court Testimony

Murati recounted that Altman claimed to her the following: OpenAI's legal department determined that the new AI model should not go through the company's safety board during deployment. This claim, according to Murati, was false. When a lawyer asked Murati directly — "Was Altman truthful in this statement?"

— she gave a clear answer: "No." This was not simply a disagreement or interpretation, but a direct accusation of the CEO of intentional deception to a member of the company's leadership. The video gives the impression of genuine testimony.

Murati answered clearly, without hesitation. Her testimony was presented in court as part of the legal proceedings initiated by Elon Musk, who accuses OpenAI and Altman of departing from the company's original nonprofit mission.

Problems in OpenAI's Management

Murati also disclosed another side of the conflict: according to her, during her time at OpenAI, Altman created significant difficulties for her in daily management. Her criticism of his leadership style made her work more difficult and created a tense atmosphere. This personal conflict between Murati and Altman is not the first disagreement uncovered in court.

Throughout the legal proceedings, questions emerge about how OpenAI interprets its mission, whether it remains true to nonprofit principles, and the extent to which it has allowed commercial interests to outweigh charitable goals.

The Essence of the Legal Dispute

The Musk v. Altman legal proceeding addresses Elon Musk's claims against Sam Altman and OpenAI as a whole. Musk asserts that the company has fundamentally deviated from its original goals — to be a nonprofit organization with a mission for the benefit of all humanity. In Musk's view, OpenAI has transformed into an ordinary commercial company pursuing profit. Murati's testimony is one of the key moments in this trial. The former CTO was aware of the taking of crucial decisions about AI model safety and deployment protocols. If her testimony is corroborated by other evidence, this could significantly influence the outcome of the case.

What This Means

Murati's testimony about Altman's deception reveals deep internal tension within OpenAI surrounding questions of AI safety and corporate governance. If the truth is established in court, this could seriously undermine confidence in the company's leadership and force a review of internal decision-making processes regarding safety.