On April 27 (local time), the lawsuit that Elon Musk brought against OpenAI officially kicked off in the federal court of Oakland, California. The trial is anticipated to span four weeks. The crux of this lawsuit lies in the legitimacy of OpenAI's shift from a non-profit entity to a for-profit one, a transformation that aligns with its significant stride towards an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

In 2024, Musk and his AI company, xAI, filed the lawsuit, naming OpenAI, Altman, Brockman, and Microsoft as the defendants. Initially, Musk sought a staggering $134 billion in damages. Now, his key demands encompass revoking OpenAI's for-profit status, ousting relevant personnel from their posts, terminating its binding cooperation with Microsoft, disclosing technical and financial details, and reclaiming the value of early donations.

OpenAI has fired back, branding Musk's lawsuit as a 'surprise attack' and refuting all the accusations. Back in late 2015, Musk and Altman jointly established OpenAI. However, tensions flared up due to ideological clashes. In 2023, Musk launched xAI to go head-to-head with OpenAI and formally initiated the lawsuit in 2024.

During the trial, relevant individuals are set to testify in court. Considering that both companies are at a pivotal juncture in their business development, the outcome of this lawsuit will not only shape OpenAI's future path but also exert a far-reaching influence on the global AI industry. At present, the lawsuit has already cast a shadow over OpenAI's IPO process.