Judge dismisses Ann Altman’s lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

In short: A US judge dismissed Ann Altman’s sexual abuse lawsuit against her brother, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and the case cannot be refiled in that court.

What happened

A US District Judge, Zachary Bluestone, dismissed a lawsuit filed by Ann Altman last year. The lawsuit claimed that her brother, Sam Altman, sexually abused her throughout her childhood.

According to reporting cited by The Verge, the judge said Ann Altman did not show up for an independent medical examination and did not meet other court deadlines over the past year. The judge wrote that she had been warned the case could be dismissed if she did not follow those requirements.

The judge granted Sam Altman’s request to dismiss the case “with prejudice.” That phrase means the case is closed in that court and cannot be filed again there, like a door that has been locked instead of just closed.

The judge also denied Sam Altman’s request for attorney fees and costs. In other words, the court did not order Ann Altman to pay his legal bills.

When the lawsuit was first filed, Sam Altman, his mother, and his brothers shared a statement saying Ann’s claims were “entirely untrue.” A lawyer who had represented Ann Altman until withdrawing this month told The Guardian that they still believed in her, but they were no longer authorized to comment.

Why it matters

Sam Altman leads OpenAI, a major AI company, so legal developments involving him can draw public attention and affect how people view the company. This dismissal was based on missed steps in the legal process, not a court ruling on whether the allegations were true.

Source: The Verge AI