AI Leaders Weekly Briefing

May 8, 2026

Internal OpenAI records go public in a major trial as the company launches GPT-5.5 and xAI scales its Grok ecosystem and more.

• Testimony in the Musk v. Altman trial has offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at OpenAI, revealing internal texts about Sam Altman's 2023 ouster, accusations of dishonesty regarding safety standards, and details of a near-merger with Anthropic. ^{123456789101112131415161718192021222324}
• OpenAI launched its GPT-5.5 model series, making GPT-5.5 Instant the default for all ChatGPT users while introducing GPT-5.5-Cyber for security professionals and three new real-time voice models for developers. ^{252627282930313233}
• Anthropic expanded its operational capacity through a compute partnership with SpaceX and introduced new 'Natural Language Autoencoders' to help interpret the internal decision-making processes of its Claude models. ^{34353637383940}
• OpenAI modified its strategic partnership with Microsoft to end exclusivity, subsequently making its models available on AWS Bedrock and partnering with multiple chipmakers on a new Ethernet-based training protocol. ^4142434445
• ElevenLabs reported surpassing $500 million in annual recurring revenue following a Series D funding round and announced significant price reductions for its voice and agentic API services. ^4647484950
• Elon Musk's xAI launched the Grok Imagine Quality Mode API for photorealistic image generation and integrated 'Connectors' for productivity tools like Google Workspace and Outlook into the Grok web interface. ⁵¹⁵²⁵³
• Other notable developments include OpenAI's expansion into digital advertising, a report from Canadian regulators finding OpenAI violated privacy laws during early ChatGPT development, and DeepMind's new AI testing partnership with the developers of EVE Online. ^{545556575859606162}

Sources

1. AI risks loom over Musk-OpenAI trial China Daily
2. Sam Altman had a bad day in court Yahoo
3. The OpenAI trial is exposing a brutal truth about workplace texts Business Insider
4. 'Still don't want me?' — trial reveals Sam Altman's frantic texts after 2023 OpenAI ouster Business Insider
5. Altman: Mira Murati testifies that Sam Altman lied to her about the safety standards for a new OpenAI model and that he made her work more difficult Techmeme
6. How Elon Musk left OpenAI, according to Greg Brockman TechCrunch
7. Elon Musk is in court arguing that OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit model Marketplace
8. Zilis says she had concerns about Altman that she raised with the board of OpenAI The Verge
9. In OpenAI trial, former technology chief says Altman sowed 'chaos,' distrust among top executives Reuters
10. Elon Musk’s Romantic Partner Testifies About Her Role on OpenAI’s Board The Wall Street Journal
11. Mother of Elon Musk's children testifies in lawsuit against OpenAI The Guardian
12. The 6 biggest revelations from Greg Brockman's second day of testimony in the OpenAI showdown Business Insider
13. Musk Sought Control Of OpenAI To Fund Mars City, Jury Told - Law360 Law360
14. Brockman says OpenAI leadership had concerns about Musk's AI knowledge Seeking Alpha
15. 'I thought he was going to hit me' OpenAI co-founder says of Musk BBC
16. OpenAI president's 'deeply personal' diary becomes focus in Musk's case against Altman The Guardian
17. Worries about AI s risks to humanity loom over the trial pitting Musk against OpenAI s leaders AP News
18. Elon Musk's Last-Ditch Effort to Control OpenAI: Recruit Sam Altman to Tesla Wired
19. Elon Musk vs OpenAI: Greg Brockman answered every question in court but skipped this one Digit
20. OpenAI says Elon Musk sent threatening texts before trial after failed settlement bid Digit
21. You just happen to be $30 billion richer? : OpenAI co-founder grilled at Musk trial NBC News
22. Elon Musk's Lawyers Ask OpenAI's Brockman Why He Is Worth $30 Billion The New York Times
23. OpenAI is 'exploring' an IPO, Greg Brockman says at Elon Musk trial Yahoo Finance
24. Greg Brockman Defends $30B OpenAI Stake: ‘Blood, Sweat, and Tears’ Wired
25. OpenAI is rolling out GPT-5.5-Cyber, a security-focused variant of the model, in a limited preview capacity to vetted cybersecurity teams Techmeme
26. OpenAI makes its Mythos rival more widely available to cyber defenders Axios
27. OpenAI launches three voice models in the API: GPT-Realtime-2 with GPT-5-class reasoning, GPT-Realtime-Whisper for transcription, and GPT-Realtime-Translate Techmeme
28. OpenAI introduces Trusted Access for Cyber OpenAI
29. OpenAI introduces three new realtime voice models OpenAI
30. OpenAI releases ChatGPT add-on for Excel and Google Sheets OpenAI
31. OpenAI says GPT-5.5 Instant produces 52.5% fewer hallucinated claims “on high-stakes prompts covering areas like medicine, law, and finance” Techmeme
32. OpenAI updates ChatGPT to GPT-5.5 Instant OpenAI
33. OpenAI releases GPT-5.5 Instant System Card OpenAI
34. Anthropic donates its open-source Petri tool Anthropic
35. Anthropic introduces Natural Language Autoencoders Anthropic
36. Anthropic shares The Anthropic Institute's research agenda Anthropic
37. Anthropic announces higher Claude limits and SpaceX compute deal Anthropic
38. Anthropic announces updates to Claude Managed Agents Anthropic
39. Anthropic increases Claude usage for AI subscribers through SpaceX cooperation heise online
40. Anthropic releases agent templates for financial services Anthropic
41. OpenAI simplifies large AI training networks with Ethernet-based protocol SDX Central
42. OpenAI partners with Microsoft, AMD, Broadcom, Nvidia, and Intel researchers to detail the Multipath Reliable Connection (MRC) protocol to help scale compute Techmeme
43. OpenAI Brings GPT-5.5 To AWS Bedrock As Microsoft Exclusive Era Ends Forbes
44. OpenAI partners to develop MRC protocol OpenAI
45. Microsoft and OpenAI Rework Alliance, Loosening Exclusive Ties Campus Technology
46. ElevenLabs reduces ElevenAPI and ElevenAgents pricing ElevenLabs
47. ElevenLabs expands operations in Australia and New Zealand ElevenLabs
48. ElevenLabs introduces new modalities for ElevenAgents ElevenLabs
49. ElevenLabs surpasses $500M ARR ElevenLabs
50. ElevenLabs powers Agentic Thwaites Glacier ElevenLabs
51. xAI launches Connectors on Grok Web xAI
52. xAI launches Grok Imagine Quality Mode API xAI
53. xAI launches Grok 4.3 on API xAI
54. DeepMind updates AlphaEvolve achievements DeepMind
55. OpenAI violated Canadian privacy laws in developing first ChatGPT model, probe finds The Globe and Mail
56. DeepMind teams up with EVE Online developers DeepMind
57. OpenAI Aggressively Expands Ads Pilot to More Countries Yahoo Finance
58. Report on OpenAI expected from the federal and provincial privacy watchdogs today National Observer
59. Pacvue joins OpenAI's ChatGPT ad pilot with Kepler as first agency PPC Land
60. OpenAI introduces ChatGPT Futures Class of 2026 OpenAI
61. OpenAI rolls out a beta version of its new Ads Manager tool to advertisers in the US, making it easier for SMBs to buy ChatGPT ads on a cost-per-click basis Techmeme
62. OpenAI expands ChatGPT ads buying options OpenAI