
AI Battle Royale: Who Will Win?
From This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro by Jeanne Destro
May 2, 2026 · 15 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the legal battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman regarding compensation and the implications of AI on humanity.
In what could be a weeks-long trial; the world's richest man, Elon Musk, is squaring off against Open AI CEO, Sam Altman, over whether or not Musk, who voluntarily walked away from a seat on the Open AI Board in 2018, deserves $134 billion dollars in compensation for alleged harm. That is a big ask, and according to reports this week, including by NBC News, is also leading to bigger questions such as "Will AI lead to the extinction of the human race?". But, as you'll hear now in my conversation with former CNET Editor, and current CBS News Tech Contributor, Ian Sherr, it's more about money, power, and control, than it is about any high-minded moral quandaries or existential arguments. Find out more. Listen now.
People in this episode
Host: Jeanne Destro
Guest: Ian Sherr
Topics covered
- AI
- legal battle
- technology
- money
- power
- control
- existential risks
Keywords
- Elon Musk
- Sam Altman
- AI
- Open AI
- legal trial
- technology
- existential risks
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Open AI, CNET, CBS News, NBC News
More episodes of This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro
- Lady Madonna, Who Will Pay the Rent?: The Looming AI Jobpocalpyse · June 12, 2026 · 33 min
- One Thing Leads To Another: How Ohio Tech and Energy Concerns Reflect Global Disruption · June 7, 2026 · 14 min
- Drones Are The New Black · May 22, 2026 · 21 min
- Small Particles, Big Results: Quantum Cybersecurity Breakthrough At Ohio State University · May 18, 2026 · 12 min
- Small Particles, Big Results: Quantum Cybersecurity Breakthrough At Ohio State University · May 18, 2026 · 12 min
- Small Particles, Big Results: Quantum Cybersecurity Breakthrough At OSU · May 15, 2026 · 12 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro podcast page.