Elon Musk is scheduled to return to the witness stand on Wednesday in a major trial linked to his lawsuit against OpenAI, in which he claims the organization abandoned its original mission of responsibly developing artificial intelligence for humanity in favor of profit-making. During testimony on Tuesday in a federal court in Oakland, California, Musk strongly criticized the 2019 move by OpenAI co-founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman to shift parts of the company into a for-profit structure.

He argued that allowing charitable organizations to be converted for profit could undermine the entire system of philanthropy in the United States. OpenAI, however, has stated that the for-profit structure was necessary to raise funds for computing resources and to attract top AI researchers. Its legal team also suggested Musk’s lawsuit is driven by his desire to influence OpenAI and support his own AI venture, xAI, which is seen as trailing OpenAI in popularity.

The case highlights the growing conflict between Musk and Altman, who once co-founded OpenAI in 2015 with the goal of ensuring safe AI development and competing with major tech players like Google. Musk later left the organization in 2018 after investing about $38 million, while Microsoft became a major investor in 2023.

On Wednesday, Musk will continue being questioned by his own lawyers before facing cross-examination from OpenAI’s legal team, which has accused him of not prioritizing AI safety during his time with the company. Before the jury was selected, the judge warned Musk over his social media posts criticizing Altman, including calling him “Scam Altman.” Both sides have since agreed to limit public commentary.

Musk is seeking $150 billion in damages, which he says should go to OpenAI’s charitable arm, and is also pushing for the company to return to nonprofit status and for its current leadership to be removed. The case comes as OpenAI moves toward a possible IPO that could value it at around $1 trillion, while also facing increasing competition and scrutiny over its performance.