Mira Murati tells the court that she couldn’t trust Sam Altman’s words

The Verge / 5/7/2026

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Key Points

  • Mira Murati, OpenAI’s former CTO, testified under oath that Sam Altman lied to her about the safety standards for a new AI model.
  • In a video deposition shown during the ongoing Musk v. Altman trial, Murati said Altman falsely claimed that OpenAI’s legal team determined the model did not need to be reviewed by the company’s deployment safety board.
  • Murati told the court that her understanding was Altman’s statement was not true, directly contradicting Altman’s account.
  • She also indicated that Altman’s actions made her work more difficult during her time at OpenAI, while the court proceedings continue.

Mira Murati, OpenAI's former CTO, has testified under oath that CEO Sam Altman lied to her about the safety standards for a new AI model. In a video deposition shown during the ongoing Musk v. Altman trial on Wednesday, Murati said Altman falsely stated that OpenAI's legal department determined a new AI model did not need to go through the company's deployment safety board. "As you understand it, was Mr. Altman telling the truth when he made that statement to you?" Murati was asked in the deposition. "No," Murati said.

Murati said that during her tenure at OpenAI, Altman made her work more difficult. Her criticism "is completely management …

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