Murati Testifies Altman Misled Her on Safety, Created Chaos at OpenAI
During a federal trial in Oakland this week, former OpenAI chief technology officer Mira Murati gave video testimony under oath about her experience working with CEO Sam Altman. Murati testified that Altman told different stories to different people, which she said created a chaotic work environment that undermined her ability to do her job. She also testified under oath that Altman falsely told her OpenAI's legal team had cleared a new AI model to skip safety board review, when the legal team had actually said no such thing. Murati served briefly as interim CEO after the board fired Altman in November 2023 for not being candid with them. Within days, Altman was reinstated after employee pressure and support from Microsoft. Murati eventually left OpenAI in 2024 to start her own AI company. The testimony is part of Elon Musk's lawsuit alleging OpenAI betrayed its nonprofit mission.
Key facts
- Mira Murati testified on May 6, 2026, in the Musk v. Altman trial in Oakland, California
- Murati testified under oath that Altman falsely told her OpenAI's legal team cleared a model to skip safety board review
- Over 700 OpenAI employees signed a letter threatening to quit and join Microsoft if Altman was not reinstated
- Altman was fired in November 2023 for being "not consistently candid in his communications with the board"
- Murati served as interim CEO for several days before being replaced by Twitch founder Emmett Shear
- Altman was reinstated as CEO within five days of his removal
- Murati left OpenAI in late 2024 and founded her own AI company, Thinking Machines Lab
- The testimony is part of Elon Musk's lawsuit seeking over 150 billion dollars and alleging OpenAI illegally converted from nonprofit to for-profit status
How different outlets framed it
Left-leaning coverage: Progressive outlets stress the governance failures at OpenAI and how Altman's dishonesty about safety protocols represents a dangerous pattern of prioritizing growth over responsible AI development. They highlight the chaotic management style that undermined female leadership and pitted executives against each other, framing it as a troubling pattern of tech industry behavior.
Right-leaning coverage: Right-leaning sources highlight questions about Murati's credibility, noting she both helped orchestrate Altman's firing and then quickly switched sides to support his reinstatement. Some suggest financial and power motives, questioning whether the real issue was safety or control, and pointing to the fact that Altman ultimately prevailed despite the allegations.
Limits of this briefing
Most sources reporting this testimony come from tech and business outlets with similar editorial angles. Limited perspective from Altman's legal team or direct defense commentary. The underlying claims in Murati's 52-page memo to the board included some secondhand information that was not independently verified at the time.
Sources
- Gizmodo: Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati Testifies About Sam Altman Allegedly Lying to Her Left
- Reuters / Yahoo Finance: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was dishonest, caused 'chaos,' ex-exec Mira Murati says in bombshell testimony Centre
- Futurism: Under Threat of Perjury, OpenAI's Former CTO Is Admitting Some Very Interesting Stuff About Sam Altman Left
- US News & World Report: In OpenAI Trial, Former Technology Chief Says Altman Sowed 'Chaos,' Distrust Among Top Executives Centre
- MIT Technology Review / Let's Data Science: Mira Murati Testifies Sam Altman Misled Her Centre