OpenAI Trial Disallows Testimony on AI Extinction Scenarios

Elon Musk arrives at the federal courthouse as opening statements begin in the trial over his lawsuit against OpenAI in Oakland, Calif., on April 28, 2026. Karl Mondon/AFPOAKLAND—Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rodgers of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on April 30 told attorneys in a civil jury trial that an expert witness on artificial intelligence (AI) would not be allowed to discuss “extinction” or “catastrophe” scenarios in his upcoming testimony.Stuart Russell, a professor at the University of California–Berkeley and a leading expert on artificial intelligence, is expected to take the stand this week or next on behalf of plaintiff Elon Musk, who is suing his former partners at OpenAI, the AI lab he cofounded in 2015, alleging that they “looted” the nonprofit company for their own gain by converting it to a for-profit venture, now valued at $852 billion.