Last catchers he testified on Wednesday Musk vs. Altman an experiment. The witnesses gave few signals, apart from the revelation that Microsoft has so far spent more than $100 billion its partnership with OpenAI. Instead of focusing on that, I wanted to bring you a clear observation that my colleague Maxwell Zeff and I can’t stop talking about after spending almost three weeks watching the case.
The courtroom is full of butts.
Some of the hard, wooden desks on the right side of U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ courtroom have been reserved for OpenAI and Microsoft attorneys, executives and other members of the defense. About 10 people, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and general counsel Che Chang, have benefited from the thick black cushions—the best from the Purple brand; $120 from Target—which keeps their butts from sitting for hours. Some cushions have rounded corners, while others are square. On Wednesday, Chang even placed one behind his back, an unusual but unusual move in the courtroom.
OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife, Anna, have watched much of the trial—and both have been good users of the rare white rivers. Judging by the tags bursting from the seams, the pillows appear to be from sleepwear brand Coop, which sells a two-pack of down-filled throw pillows for $35.
On Wednesday, an OpenAI security guard carried a purple bag into the courtroom, containing a pillow for each of the Brockmans. Anna gave her husband just one minute to suffer unforgettably before she passed him discreetly and then put her own. I felt bad OpenAI principal researcher Joshua Achiamwho later took Brockman’s seat but was left with no cushions. (Eventually Achiam found one of the more common black cushions.)
OpenAI did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
One longtime tech lawyer told WIRED that using cushions or pillows isn’t “the norm,” but he noted, “it’s not completely out of left field.” Personally, he said, he has never seen lawyers use pillows or cushions during his cases, but then again, “he has never been involved in a case that has lasted so many days.”
The primary claimants in this case sit in luxurious leather seats, although a couple are showing signs of wear and tear, so maybe the padding isn’t as tough as it seems.
My last time in this courtroom for many hours was in 2021, including parts of the court Epic Games vs. Apple case. But capacity was limited at the time due to Covid concerns, so I had a lot of room to stretch. This time, the courtroom is filled close to its maximum capacity – about 150 people – with up to 90 seats.
I thought about bringing my own pillow about an hour into my first day of trial in late April, because, well, these desks aren’t very comfortable. But I didn’t want to be weak. None of the two dozen or so other journalists in regular attendance—including one who is pregnant—seemed to bring cushions, at least not at first. So I went through a six day period with my lower back and lower back getting worse by the minute.
Last week, after a particularly brutal morning, I finally decided to bring in some help. I couldn’t find a well-padded seat cushion intended for stadium cleaning, so I settled for a “cooling” cushion that was used in the hot outdoor arenas at the Tokyo Olympics. About two seconds after using it on Wednesday morning for the first time, I noticed that it was ineffective. It was too small and too thin to give any relief. My back got strained especially when writing the notes about jackass booty inspired by Muskwhich is said to have once had its own river.
Four hours in, I gave up on the river completely. But I saw a New York Times reporter who eventually collapsed, as well as a courtroom artist—who has a very colorful pillow—remained seated on their pillows. Maybe I’ll get a better solution next week, when Gonzalez Rogers hears arguments about possible penalties.
Maxwell Zeff contributed to this report.
This is a version of by Maxwell Zeff Journal of Model Behavior. Read previous articles here.
