Jury deliberations have begun in the high-profile legal battle between Elon Musk and OpenAI, with the billionaire accusing the company and its chief executive, Sam Altman, of abandoning the organisation’s original nonprofit mission.

The trial, taking place in Oakland near San Francisco, has drawn widespread attention across the technology industry as Musk seeks to challenge OpenAI’s transition into a major profit-driven artificial intelligence company.

Musk alleges that OpenAI’s leadership diverted the organisation from its founding goal of developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity and instead turned it into a commercial enterprise valued at hundreds of billions of dollars following the success of ChatGPT.

The Tesla and SpaceX founder claims a $38 million contribution he made to support OpenAI’s nonprofit research efforts was improperly used after the company shifted toward a commercial structure.

The case has also focused heavily on the conduct and credibility of Altman and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman.

During closing arguments, Musk’s lawyer, Steven Molo, argued that OpenAI had abandoned promises made at its founding regarding transparency and public benefit.

OpenAI’s legal team, however, rejected the allegations and questioned Musk’s credibility, arguing that the billionaire’s claims were inconsistent with testimony presented during the proceedings.

The trial also revisited Altman’s brief removal as OpenAI chief executive in November 2023 over concerns related to transparency and management issues before he was later reinstated following pressure from employees and investors.

A key issue before the nine-member jury is whether Musk filed the lawsuit within the legally permitted timeframe, given that he initiated the case several years after his last financial contribution to OpenAI.

If the court allows the case to proceed fully and Musk succeeds, OpenAI could be forced to return to its nonprofit structure, potentially affecting its commercial partnerships and planned expansion strategy.

The lawsuit also places scrutiny on major investors in OpenAI, including Microsoft, Amazon and SoftBank, over their involvement in the company’s transition to a profit-oriented model.

Musk left OpenAI in 2018 and later launched his own artificial intelligence venture, xAI, amid growing competition in the global AI sector.