New testimony from the legal fight between Elon Musk and OpenAI is shedding light on a little-known turning point in artificial intelligence history: Musk once explored bringing OpenAI’s leadership directly into Tesla.
Internal communications and courtroom testimony revealed this week show Musk proposed several dramatic options in 2018 as tensions grew inside OpenAI. Among the ideas discussed:
- Making OpenAI a Tesla subsidiary
- Hiring OpenAI executives to build a Tesla AI lab
- Recruiting outside AI leaders to compete with rivals like Google DeepMind and Meta
The disclosures provide a rare behind-the-scenes look at how ideological disagreements, personal rivalries, and competing visions for artificial intelligence ultimately fractured one of Silicon Valley’s most influential partnerships.
TL;DR
- Court testimony revealed Elon Musk explored bringing OpenAI leaders into Tesla in 2018.
- Musk reportedly doubted OpenAI’s ability to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI).
- He considered hiring Sam Altman, Greg Brockman, and Ilya Sutskever for Tesla’s AI efforts.
- Musk also explored recruiting Demis Hassabis.
- OpenAI executives reportedly questioned Musk’s understanding of AI and AGI.
- The testimony supports OpenAI’s claim that Musk favoured commercialisation if he controlled the company.
What the OpenAI vs. Elon Musk Trial Is Revealing
The courtroom battle between Elon Musk and OpenAI has increasingly become more than a legal dispute.
It is now serving as a public excavation of the early philosophical disagreements that shaped today’s AI industry.
Musk, one of OpenAI’s original co-founders, has accused the company of abandoning its original nonprofit mission by evolving into a commercial AI powerhouse closely tied to Microsoft.
OpenAI, meanwhile, argues that Musk himself supported profit-oriented structures — as long as he retained influence or control over the technology.
The newly revealed testimony appears central to that argument.
Why Elon Musk Wanted OpenAI Leaders at Tesla
According to testimony and internal messages presented in court, Musk became increasingly sceptical in 2018 that OpenAI could successfully develop artificial general intelligence, or AGI.
AGI refers to a theoretical form of AI capable of matching or surpassing human intelligence across a broad range of tasks.
As doubts grew, Musk reportedly began exploring ways to consolidate AI talent under Tesla rather than OpenAI.
Executives Musk allegedly wanted at Tesla
The testimony indicates Musk considered recruiting:
- Sam Altman
- Greg Brockman
- Ilya Sutskever
He also reportedly explored hiring Demis Hassabis, one of the most respected figures in artificial intelligence research.
The goal, according to testimony, was to create a world-class AI operation inside Tesla capable of competing with the industry’s biggest research labs.
Musk’s Bigger Fear: Falling Behind in AI
One of the most revealing parts of the testimony involved messages showing Musk’s frustration about AI competition.
In a conversation presented during the trial, Musk reportedly wrote:
“There is little chance of OpenAI being a successful force if I focus on TeslaAI.”
That statement is important because it suggests Musk saw AI development as requiring concentrated focus, talent, and resources, not divided attention between organizations.
At the time, AI competition was rapidly intensifying:
- Google DeepMind was leading many breakthrough research efforts
- Meta was investing heavily in AI infrastructure
- Autonomous driving systems were becoming central to Tesla’s long-term strategy
For Musk, advanced AI was not just a research issue. It was tied directly to Tesla’s future in autonomous vehicles, robotics, and automation.
Why OpenAI Leaders Reportedly Distrusted Musk
Despite Musk’s proposals, OpenAI executives reportedly resisted deeper collaboration with him.
One email shown during the proceedings included comments from tech executive Shivon Zilis, who testified during the case.
According to the email, OpenAI leadership admired Musk personally but questioned his expertise in artificial intelligence.
The message reportedly stated:
“They all think Elon is an incredible human being, but that he really hasn’t done his homework on AI/AGI.”
That criticism goes to the heart of a long-running divide in Silicon Valley between the following:
- Visionary entrepreneurs who drive ambitious technology projects
- Technical AI researchers focused on long-term safety and scientific rigour
Why this tension matters
The disagreement reflects a broader issue inside the AI industry:
Who should control transformative AI systems?
- Researchers?
- Corporate leaders?
- Governments?
- Investors?
- Founders?
The OpenAI-Musk split became an early example of those tensions playing out in real time.
How Tesla’s AI Ambitions Fit Into the Story
Tesla’s AI ambitions have grown dramatically since Musk departed from OpenAI.
The company now heavily promotes the following:
- Full Self-Driving technology
- Robotics projects like Optimus
- Massive AI training infrastructure
- Proprietary chips and compute systems
In many ways, Tesla already functions partly as an AI company rather than only an automaker.
That context makes the newly revealed testimony especially significant. It suggests Tesla’s AI transformation may have originally been envisioned as a direct alternative to OpenAI itself.
This would help readers understand the competitive landscape.
The Core Issue in Musk’s Lawsuit Against OpenAI
At the center of Musk’s lawsuit is a fundamental question about OpenAI’s mission.
Musk argues the organisation drifted away from its original nonprofit purpose of building AI safely for humanity.
OpenAI argues that commercialisation became necessary because advanced AI development requires enormous computational resources, infrastructure, and investment.
The testimony presented this week appears designed to support OpenAI’s argument that Musk was not opposed to commercialization itself, only to commercialisation without his control.
OpenAI attorney William Savitt reportedly argued exactly that during the proceedings.
Why This Trial Matters Beyond Silicon Valley
The legal battle is becoming a defining case for the modern AI era because it touches several massive questions:
- Who controls advanced AI systems?
- Can nonprofit ideals survive billion-dollar AI races?
- Should AGI development be centralised or distributed?
- How much power should individual tech founders hold?
The answers could shape the future structure of the AI industry for decades.
This is no longer just a dispute between former collaborators. It is increasingly a public fight over the future governance of artificial intelligence itself.