Zoe Kleinman: Why the AI industry is the real winner of the Musk-Altman trial It is not only OpenAI but the AI race itself that was vindicated in the California courtroom last night. Even though Elon Musk essentially lost on a technicality, there's a clear signal from the verdict that making lots of money from AI and competing fiercely with rivals is simply business.
The industry sometimes tries to display a united front, especially when it comes to safety, research and inclusivity. But this case served as a powerful reminder that none of the AI giants are charities and don't have to be, even if they once said otherwise.
Cracks in the façade of industry collaboration for the sake of humanity have been exposed before. In February I was in India for a global AI Summit, where host Prime Minister Narendra Modi orchestrated the world's tech leaders to hold hands on-stage.
Sam Altman and Anthropic boss Dario Amodei, once colleagues at OpenAI and now bitter rivals, found themselves side-by-side. This time, they pointedly clenched their fists into tight balls to avoid touching one another.
Similarly "petty" drama during the trial in Oakland, California these last weeks has helped lift the veil on the AI sector - and the huge egos of the men at the heart of it jostling for money and power. Nobody came out of it looking particularly heroic.