Individual vs systemic risk – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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All of the updates from Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s battle over OpenAI

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Individual vs. systemic risk.

Russell is asked next about risk. He starts with individual risk, including algorithmic discrimination, which he says is “much more widespread” than people expect. He also mentions the possibility of AI systems reinforcing “delusional beliefs” — like, in his example, “Vladimir Putin is an alien.” Then there’s systemic risk — like AI systems taking jobs at a large scale. Russell mentions computer science students having trouble getting work already, and he expects it will accelerate.

As Russell keeps going, the opposition lawyer objects that this is speculative, and Judge Gonzalez Rogers asks to move on — which Musk’s lawyer does by promptly asking again about jobs. Another objection is sustained, and Russell starts talking about people using AI to magnify harm, like cyberattacks. He mentions Mythos, and the opposition lawyer gets it stricken from the record as outside the scope. None of this particularly relates to OpenAI so far — it’s basically a generic overview of AI risks, which Musk has been focusing on as central to the trial, despite some limits from YGR. And we’ve already run through 20 minutes of the 30 allotted for direct testimony.

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