The Download: Musk and Altman's legal showdown, and AI's profit problem
Elon Musk is suing OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, alleging the company strayed from its non-profit roots, with the trial potentially impacting OpenAI's for-profit status and leadership ahead of its IPO. Meanwhile, AI companies face growing scrutiny over how they will achieve profitability despite massive investment and hype. OpenAI has ended its exclusive partnership with Microsoft, allowing it to work with other tech giants, as it struggles to meet growth targets. Weaponized deepfakes, AI's ethical challenges, and a populist backlash add to the sector's mounting pressures.
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The DownloadThe Download: Musk and Altman’s legal showdown, and AI’s profit problemPlus: OpenAI has ended its exclusive partnership with Microsoft. By Thomas Macaulayarchive pageApril 28, 2026 This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. Elon Musk and Sam Altman are going to court over OpenAI’s future Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman head to trial this week in a case with sweeping consequences. Ahead of OpenAI’s IPO, the court could rule on whether the company can exist as a for-profit enterprise. It could even oust its leadership. Musk, an OpenAI co-founder, claims he was deceived into bankrolling the firm under false pretenses.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at MIT Technology Review.