In 'Musk v Altman', this judge will make the final call

The feud has fuelled a costly showdown between two tech titans. But that's not always the case, as evidenced by his $150bn (£110bn) lawsuit against OpenAI, currently playing out in a California court. Musk co-founded the company in 2015 with CEO Sam Altman, and left three years later after a power struggle. Musk vs Altman is just the latest high-profile Big Tech case to cross US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers's bench. Musk has accused Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman of a breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment.

OpenAI says Musk is suing to give his own AI startup, xAI, a leg-up. During his testimony last week, Musk tried at one point to play the part of his own legal counsel, accusing OpenAI's lawyer William Savitt of asking him leading questions. Gonzalez Rogers quickly shut him down. Unlike a lawyer conducting direct examination of their own client, Savitt was allowed to lead, she instructed Musk. "Let's remind everyone in the courtroom that you are not a lawyer," she told Musk.

"I am not a lawyer," Musk acknowledged. But he reaffirmed her point: "Yes – I am not a lawyer." In Gonzalez Rogers, Musk may have met his match. She's in charge," said veteran courtroom artist Vicki Behringer, who has covered several cases overseen by Judge Gonzalez Rogers, including this one. Commentators have described Gonzalez Rogers as a tough but fair judge who is in total command of her courtroom. Ultimately, Gonzalez Rogers will be the final arbiter.

The case will go back to Gonzalez Rogers to determine a fair commission rate. Gonzalez Rogers was appointed to a lifetime seat on the federal bench in Oakland, California, in 2011 by then-President Barack Obama. Gonzalez Rogers has run a tight ship since the Musk v Altman trial began in late April. "How can we get this done without you making things worse outside the courtroom?," Gonzalez Rogers asked him. Musk replied that he was only responding to OpenAI's public statements about the case.

"Yes," Musk responded. And her request wasn't limited to Musk. When Musk compared AI to The Terminator movies, Gonzalez Rogers told him after jurors left her courtroom: "You've made your little statement. But that's it." Elon Musk Artificial intelligence United States The feud has fuelled a costly showdown between two tech titans. In 'Musk v Altman', this judge will make the final call