Big Tech’s titans go toe-to-toe
The high-stakes legal battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman is entering its second week in the courtroom.
My colleague Katherine Li has been on the scene in San Francisco, chronicling the ins and outs of a trial that is pitting two of the most powerful tech titans against each other.
I spoke with Katherine about the atmosphere inside the room and what to expect in the days ahead.
What’s the vibe been like in and around the courtroom?
It’s clear that the courthouse is working hard to grapple with the immense public interest. I have met a wide array of people while standing in line at the courthouse, including a nonprofit founder and a Hoover Institution researcher. Competition for a chance to sit in the courtroom is extremely fierce, but the overflow room feels different. Comparing notes and helping each other out are commonplace, and so is sharing snacks when the testimony gets too dry.
What’s your daily schedule to get to the courthouse?
I’ve been consistent in arriving in front of the courthouse at around 7 am over the past week, with a fully charged laptop and a Hydro Flask full of coffee. The line is usually long and would snake through the courtyard by 8 am.
The judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, lives up to her reputation. Each day, the session starts on time at 8:30 am sharp, with a short break within two hours, and a longer break closer to 12 pm to allow for lunch. The afternoon sessions always end on time before Rogers’ hard cut-off time of 2 pm.
What’s the most surprising thing you witnessed from the first week of the trial?
Part of the suspense was whether Altman and Musk would appear in person, given the security risks. Yet as early as jury selection, Altman made a surprise appearance, and Musk followed suit as the trial’s first witness the next day. This shows that both billionaires highly value this case and are eager to make a good impression on the jury, many of whom have been candid about their negative perceptions of Musk and AI.
What can we expect to learn next week?
Greg Brockman, one of the early cofounders of OpenAI, is also expected to spend a total of 3 hours on the stand. It’s unclear whether Altman will be on the witness stand next week, but he has appeared in court every single day this week for varying lengths of time. Brockman is considered a key witness in the case due to journal entries he wrote that shed light on the period before Musk left the company in 2018.
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