Additional Coverage:
- Elon Musk’s lawyers claim he doesn’t use a computer—despite the billionaire’s own X posts saying the opposite (fortune.com)
Does Elon Musk Really Not Use a Computer? His Lawyers Claim So in OpenAI Tussle
Elon Musk’s legal team is making a rather unusual claim: the tech mogul “does not use a computer.” This assertion comes amidst a legal battle with OpenAI, where Musk is suing the company and its CEO, Sam Altman, for allegedly abandoning its nonprofit origins.
OpenAI accused Musk of failing to comply with the discovery process in the lawsuit. In response, Musk’s attorney, Jaymie Parkkinen, fired back with a letter to the presiding judge, denying the accusations. Parkkinen stated that searches were being conducted on Musk’s mobile phone and emphasized that the billionaire doesn’t use a computer.
However, this claim clashes with several public statements from Musk himself. Last month, he posted on X about “still using my ancient PC laptop.”
He also shared a picture of a laptop in December 2024, claiming it as his own, and mentioned purchasing a new one in February. Furthermore, unnamed X employees, speaking to the press, have stated that while Musk prefers his phone, he has been observed using a laptop on occasion.
This legal wrangling is just the latest development in Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI. A co-founder of the company, Musk accuses OpenAI of becoming a “closed-source” extension of Microsoft, prioritizing profits over its initial mission of developing AI for the benefit of humanity. He alleges breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and unfair business practices, and is seeking, among other things, a return to open-source development and an injunction preventing OpenAI executives from profiting from artificial general intelligence (AGI).
The lawsuit contends that OpenAI’s latest model, GPT-4, might qualify as AGI, but its design remains secret due to commercial interests. Musk argues that this secrecy contradicts OpenAI’s name and mission, and that Microsoft benefits financially from keeping the technology proprietary. He points out the irony of contributing over $44 million to a nonprofit that then transforms into a for-profit venture now valued at $80 billion, comparing it to donating to a rainforest preservation nonprofit that then starts a logging company.