Mira Murati testifies Sam Altman lied about OpenAI model safety standards
Updated
Updated · The Verge · May 6
Mira Murati testifies Sam Altman lied about OpenAI model safety standards
12 articles · Updated · The Verge · May 6
In a video deposition shown Wednesday in the Musk v Altman trial, Murati said Altman falsely claimed OpenAI's legal team had cleared a new model to bypass the deployment safety board.
She said she checked with then-general counsel Jason Kwon, found his account differed from Altman's, and ensured the model went through the board anyway.
Murati also said Altman undermined executives; her testimony echoes past accusations from Ilya Sutskever, Helen Toner and OpenAI's board during Altman's brief 2023 ouster.
With a history of deception and top talent leaving, is Sam Altman's leadership now a liability for the future of AI?
As tech leaders clash over safety and profit, who should truly control artificial intelligence?
The 2023 firing of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, triggered by a dossier exposing his alleged safety protocol breaches, sparked a leadership crisis marked by chaos and a mass employee revolt demanding his reinstatement. Mira Murati, initially appointed interim CEO, testified in 2026 about Altman's misrepresentation of safety approvals and the toxic executive tensions between rapid growth and safety concerns. These governance failures led to real-world harms, lawsuits, and a delayed IPO, shaking trust in AI industry leadership. Murati's departure to found an ethical AI startup highlights the deep rifts, while the crisis accelerated global regulatory efforts and a shift toward stronger, enforceable AI governance.