OpenAI Trial Disallows Testimony on AI Extinction Scenarios

OAKLAND—Federal District Judge Yvonne Rodriguez on Thursday told attorneys in a civil jury trial that an expert witness on artificial intelligence would not be allowed to discuss “extinction” or “catastrophe” scenarios in his upcoming testimony.
Stuart Russell, a professor at UC Berkeley and a leading expert on artificial intelligence, is expected to take the stand this week or next on behalf of plaintiff Elon Musk, who is suing his former partners at OpenAI, the AI lab he co-founded in 2015, alleging they “looted” the nonprofit company for their own gain by converting it to a for-profit venture, now valued at $852 billion….