The Vergecast
The Vergecast

Musk and Altman go to court

April 28, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Musk and Altman go to court

"Here's a sentence I don't think I ever thought I would say again: I'm using the Rabbit R1." Two years after the Rabbit R1 debuted as part of a wave of standalone AI devices that mostly flopped, David Pierce has found himself actually using the thing again. The device's original pitch—a "large action model" that would do things on your behalf—was ahead of its time, presaging the agentic AI wave we're now seeing everywhere. But what actually made the R1 useful again is much simpler: a "magic recorder" feature that records audio, transcribes it, summarizes it, and emails you the result. It's nothing your phone couldn't do, but Pierce finds the dedicated form factor useful for walking around the kitchen dictating grocery lists or setting timers without touching his phone. "Kudos to the Rabbit team," he says. "They just kept working on this thing."

The Elon Musk–OpenAI trial: punishment as strategy

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:05) **Podcast Intro & Rabbit R1 Update** - David Pierce explains why he's using the Rabbit R1 again two years after its initial failure.
  • 2 (02:29) **Segment 1: The OpenAI vs. Elon Musk Trial** - Liz Lopatto joins to preview the trial, explaining it's more about chaos and punishment than a strong legal case.
  • 3 (09:00) **The Origin Story of the Lawsuit** - Liz recounts the history of OpenAI's founding and Musk's departure, setting the stage for the current conflict.
  • 4 (12:08) **Musk's Vindictive Strategy and the "Lawfare" Approach** - Liz explains Musk's true motivations and the legal tactics he's using.
  • 5 (15:16) **Why This Case Actually Made It to Trial** - The surprising fact that the case wasn't dismissed is due to Musk's resources and the nature of the legal questions.
  • 6 (17:26) **Dirt, Depositions, and "Catching Strays"** - Liz previews the embarrassing information already leaking from discovery, including potential questions about Musk's drug use.
  • 7 (23:22) **The Risk for Sam Altman and OpenAI** - David and Liz discuss how the trial, even if OpenAI wins, could damage Sam Altman's reputation and the company's stability.

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Guests on this episode

Show Notes

Elon Musk's case against OpenAI is heading to trial. Musk is almost certainly going to lose, but he might still get everything he wants from the fight. The Verge's Liz Lopatto explains how this spat made it this far, and where it's going next. After that, The Verge's Sean Hollister tells us about the latest products from Framework, including the company's coolest laptop yet — and a keyboard for couch potatoes. Finally, Sean helps David answer a question from the Vergecast Hotline (call 866-VERGE11 or email [email protected]!) about the Surface Go and other small PCs, which might be due for a comeback.

Further reading:

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(Timestamps are approximate.)


00:00:00 Rabbit R1 Returns

00:05:00 Musk vs OpenAI

00:07:00 What the Lawsuit Claims

00:11:00 Musk Motives and Remedies

00:16:00 Discovery Dirt and Strays

00:22:00 Altman Reputation Stakes

00:28:00 Risks for Musk and IPO

00:37:00 Framework Laptop Pro

00:41:00 Battery Life and Specs

00:43:00 Display Specs Upgrade

00:44:00 Battery And Memory Gains

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