The tech trial of the year, Musk v. Altman, was ultimately a fight for control. Elon Musk argued that Sam Altman, with whom he helped found the now-massive company OpenAI, shouldn’t direct the future of AI. Altman’s lawyers, in turn, poked at Musk’s own credibility. A jury came to a verdict on Monday after just two hours of deliberation, dismissing Musk’s claims due to the statute of limitations.
Technology
Frozen Waymos backed up San Francisco traffic during a widespread power outage
A power outage struck San Francisco on Saturday that blacked out about 130,000 customers at its peak, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, but also caused another problem: stranded Waymo vehicles. Posts all over social media showed the company’s autonomous SUVs sitting still in the streets and causing traffic jams.
Some people posted videos of Teslas using their FSD feature to navigate the same streets, and Elon Musk tweeted that “Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage.” On Sunday evening, Waymo spokesperson Suzanne Philion said “We are resuming ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area.”
In response to an inquiry from The Verge, Waymo spokesperson Suzanne Philion sent a statement saying, “We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services given the broad power outage in San Francisco. We are focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work.” PG&E reported as of 7AM PT that “Crews have restored about 110,000 customers and PG&E continues to work on restoring the remaining 21,000 customers, primarily in the Presidio, Richmond District, Golden Gate Park and small areas of downtown San Francisco,” as it continued repairs after a fire at a five-story power substation.
After this story was published, Philion sent a second statement:
We are resuming ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area. Yesterday’s power outage was a widespread event that caused gridlock across San Francisco, with non-functioning traffic signals and transit disruptions. While the failure of the utility infrastructure was significant, we are committed to ensuring our technology adjusts to traffic flow during such events.
“Throughout the outage, we closely coordinated with San Francisco city officials. We are focused on rapidly integrating the lessons learned from this event, and are committed to earning and maintaining the trust of the communities we serve every day.
Exactly why the cars weren’t moving remains unclear, with no public updates we could find on the company’s social media channels, but speculation centered on spotty wireless data connections, with cell towers either down or overloaded by people who no longer had access to Wi-Fi, and/or the street lights that weren’t operating without power.
These problems have occurred before, though, as seen in TikTok videos from earlier this year showing Waymos frozen by a malfunctioning street light and during a power outage in Austin, Texas. In a reply to a Reddit post showing another similar situation last year, someone saying they were a former employee commented explaining that the vehicle would send a request to a remote assistant and wait for their response before proceeding.
According to a company blog post, it reaches out to a human response agent when the car encounters “unique interactions,” providing them with live and recorded views from its cameras in addition to a 3D map of what the sensors are picking up. However, those may require bandwidth that’s hard to find during a significant power outage. I couldn’t find any statistics on how many remote assistance operators Waymo has available at a given time, but in November, the company announced it passed a third-party audit by Tüv Süd, a German tech inspection company that evaluated its remote assistance program against industry best practices.
Update, December 21st: Added updated statement from Waymo spokesperson Suzanne Philion.
In a strictly legal sense, three weeks of testimony added up to nothing. But the trial offered a more damning broader takeaway: Almost nobody in this saga seems worth trusting. Some of the most powerful people in tech seem temperamentally incapable of dealing with each other honestly. And if that’s true, it raises a bigger question: Why are they in control of a trillion-dollar industry that’s set to upend people’s lives?
OpenAI was, in the testimony of both Musk and Altman, founded to stop powerful AI from being owned and advanced by the wrong people. Testimony and evidence showed its founding team fretting about who would control artificial general intelligence (AGI), a buzzword for AI that broadly equals or surpasses human knowledge and ability. They deeply feared Google DeepMind and its leader, Demis Hassabis. In 2015, Altman said he’d been mulling over whether anything could “stop humanity from developing AI” — and after concluding it was impossible, that he wanted “someone other than google to do it first.”
Fellow cofounders Greg Brockman and Ilya Sutskever so strongly opposed one-person control that they seemed willing to torpedo a lucrative deal that could — in their words — give Musk an “AI dictatorship.” In a part of the same email addressed to Altman, Brockman and Sutskever questioned his motivations, writing, “We haven’t been able to fully trust your judgements throughout this process … Is AGI truly your primary motivation? How does it connect to your political goals?”
These concerns would be quickly borne out. A central focus of Musk v. Altman was “the blip,” a five-day period in November 2023 when OpenAI’s board removed Altman as CEO. Sutskever had spent more than a year architecting his ouster, assembling a 52-page memo alleging “a consistent pattern of lying, undermining his execs, and pitting his execs against one another.” The implications were broader than executive infighting, potentially impacting the public rollout of AI systems. Then-CTO Mira Murati, for instance, testified in court that Altman told her OpenAI’s legal team had okayed skipping a safety review for one of its models — a statement, she said, that turned out to be false.
In closing arguments, Musk attorney Steven Molo hammered home the long list of people who had testified under oath that Altman was, in one way or another, a liar — all of whom Altman had worked with for years. “The defendants absolutely need you to believe Sam Altman,” Molo told the jury. “If you cannot trust him, if you don’t believe him, they cannot win. It’s that simple.”
But during court proceedings, Musk — who now leads competing lab xAI, under his space company SpaceX — didn’t come off any better. Joshua Achiam, now OpenAI’s chief futurist, testified that Musk’s race against Google led him to take an “obviously unsafe and reckless” approach to achieving AGI. When he and others raised concerns, he says, Musk argued that OpenAI’s for-profit makeover created incentives to disregard safety, but his own xAI is for-profit and has, at best, a haphazard approach to safety. And in the name of making sure OpenAI remained open, Musk was obsessive in his need for control over it. In closing arguments, Sarah Eddy, one of OpenAI’s attorneys, told the jury that Musk “wanted dominion over AGI.”
As one X user put it, “if untrustworthyness had mass, putting Musk and Altman too close to one another would collapse the courtroom and all of earth into a black hole.”
OpenAI and Musk did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
It’s not just Musk and Altman, either. Trial evidence suggested Murati helped get Altman removed, then switched sides to support his reinstatement while appearing “totally uninterested” in disclosing the role she’d played. Shivon Zilis, a close Musk associate who served on OpenAI’s board, asked Musk if he’d “prefer I stay close and friendly to OpenAI to keep info flowing” during his departure — avoiding revealing that she had two children with him at the time. Brockman’s diary entries played a key role in Musk’s case; at one point, he admitted Musk could “correctly” claim “we weren’t honest with him” if OpenAI made a for-profit shift without his involvement.
Musk v. Altman gave each man an opportunity to sling dirt at the other and, in theory, establish himself as the more scrupulous guardian of AI. But a more obvious takeaway is that several of the AI industry’s household names are at best naive — and, at worst, hypocrites with little regard for the consequences of their actions.
Public sentiment about AI is at an all-time low. In a Pew Research survey from last summer, half of US adults said the “increased use of AI in daily life makes them feel more concerned than excited” — and only 10 percent said they felt more excited than concerned. Many of these concerns are related to job loss, but protests are also surging against mass data center construction across the country. Some resistance has turned potentially violent, with individuals allegedly attempting to attack Altman’s home on two occasions. And many tech CEOs themselves maintain that they have bunkers or other doomsday-prepping plans for if things go horribly wrong.
These companies push public messaging that AI empowers its users. But a 2025 Pew Research study found that nearly 60 percent of US adults feel they have little to no control over how AI is used in their lives. In the US, the prospect of meaningful government regulation — which could at least offer some level of external oversight — remains shaky. And now, it’s clearer than ever how far the AI world’s biggest players will go to maintain control.
Amid the trial’s reams of evidence, one document offers a rare example of Altman and Musk offering to cede some power. In March 2015, Altman emailed Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella with a simple request: Sign a letter that he and Musk were drafting, asking the US government to establish “a new regulatory agency for AI safety” and address “the biggest risk to the continued existence of humanity that most people are ignoring.” Weeks later, Nadella responded to shut down the idea. The “issue of human safety and the control problem will become real issues,” he said. But executives, he insisted, should be calling for “federal funding and encouragement of research,” not oversight. Altman promptly agreed. The letter, he promised, would be changed — leaving the option of regulating the AI industry “if and when.”
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An unexpected recall text message pops up on your phone. It mentions a familiar company like Amazon, a specific order and a possible safety issue. As a result, it is meant to grab your attention fast.
In the text we received, the message claims that an item from a February 2026 order has been recalled. Next, it tells you to stop using it and click a link for a refund. It also signs off as “Amazon Account Support Team.”
It looks convincing, yes. But when you look a little closer, the red flags start to show up.
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AMAZON ALERTS CUSTOMERS ABOUT IMPERSONATION SCAMS
A fake Amazon recall text may use a familiar company name, order number and safety warning to push users into clicking a suspicious link. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How this Amazon recall scam text works
Let’s walk through what this message is doing and why it raises concern.
It comes from an unfamiliar or unknown number
This is the first red flag. That alone should make you pause. Legitimate companies usually contact you through verified channels tied to your account, not random text numbers. Amazon says it will never ask for sensitive information outside its official website or app.
“Dear Amazon Customer,”
Companies like Amazon usually address you by your name. A generic greeting signals mass messaging.
“This update applies to an item recorded in your February 2026 order (Order No. 113-6285795-7079515).”
Scammers often include an order number to build trust. It looks official. However, it doesn’t prove the sender has access to your real account.
“Following a recent review, the item has been found to significantly fall short of expected quality standards and is now subject to a recall action.”
The language sounds formal but vague. Notice what is missing. The message never names the product, which is something a real recall would always include.
“Please stop using the item for now.”
This line adds urgency. Safety concerns push you to act quickly without verifying details.
“Please follow the link below to review recall details and request a refund online.”
This is the core of the scam. It tries to move you off the platform and onto a link the sender controls.
The link: https://rzxr.vxybcf.xxx/…
This is one of the biggest red flags. The domain has nothing to do with Amazon. It looks random and disposable. Legitimate messages from Amazon use official domains like amazon.com.
“Customer safety remains a priority.”
This sounds reassuring, but adds no real information. It is filler to make the message feel polished.
“Amazon Account Support Team”
Another generic sign-off. Real emails or texts from Amazon often include more structured branding and consistent formatting.
FBI WARNS OF DANGEROUS NEW ‘SMISHING’ SCAM TARGETING YOUR PHONE
Scam texts claiming to be from Amazon may direct users to fake refund pages designed to steal passwords or payment details. (iStock via Getty Images)
Red flags in this Amazon recall text scam
A few simple checks can quickly tell you something is off:
- Comes from an unfamiliar or unknown number
- Uses a generic greeting
- Doesn’t name the product
- Includes a suspicious link
- Pushes urgent action
When you see several of these at once, treat the message as a scam.
What happens if you click an Amazon scam link
That link likely leads to a fake page designed to look like a real Amazon site. From there, a few things can happen. You may be asked to log in. That gives attackers your username and password. You may be asked for payment details under the idea of “processing a refund.” You could also trigger a download that installs malware. The goal is always the same. Get your data or access to your accounts.
“Scammers that attempt to impersonate Amazon put consumers at risk. We will continue to invest in protecting consumers and educating the public on scam avoidance”, an Amazon spokesperson told Cyberguy. “We encourage consumers to report suspected scams to us so that we can protect their accounts and refer bad actors to law enforcement to help keep consumers safe. Please visit our help pages to find additional information on how to identify scams and report them at amazon.com/ReportAScam.”
How to stay safe from Amazon text scams
A few simple checks can help you spot the scam early and protect your account before any damage is done.
1) Verify orders and contact Amazon through official channels
Open the Amazon app or type amazon.com into your browser. Do not use the link in the text. Amazon says that when a product is recalled, affected customers are notified through official channels such as email, push notifications and a dedicated “Your Recalls and Product Safety Alerts” page within their account. Check your Orders page and the “Your Recalls and Product Safety Alerts” section. If anything still seems unclear, contact Amazon Customer Service directly. Never use the contact details provided in the message.
2) Avoid tapping unknown links
That shortened or random-looking domain is a major warning sign. Even if the message looks polished, treat any unfamiliar link as unsafe. If you want to investigate, go to the company’s official site on your own.
3) Use strong antivirus software to block malicious links
If you accidentally tap a link like this, strong antivirus software can help stop harmful sites from loading or block downloads before they install. Many tools now include real-time protection against phishing links, which adds a layer of defense when a scam slips through. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.
4) Use the Report Spam feature on your phone
Scroll to the bottom of the message and tap Report Spam or Report Junk. This helps your device and carrier block similar messages in the future. It also flags the number for others.
MASSIVE SCAM SPREADING DESIGNED TO TRICK YOU AND STEAL YOUR MONEY
Amazon recall scam messages often use generic greetings, unknown numbers and vague product details to target unsuspecting shoppers. (iStock)
5) Consider identity theft protection after a scam attempt
If you entered any personal information, keep an eye on your accounts. Identity theft monitoring services can alert you to suspicious activity, such as new accounts opened in your name or unusual credit changes. That kind of early warning can make a big difference. See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at CyberGuy.com.
6) Remove your personal data from public databases
Scammers often rely on personal details to make messages feel convincing. Data removal services can help reduce how much of your information is available online, making it harder for criminals to target you with personalized scams. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com/FreeScan.
7) Watch for urgency and pressure
Be cautious of urgent language. Scammers often try to pressure you into acting immediately before you have time to verify the message. Take a moment to verify. A real recall will still be there after you check it through official channels.
8) Protect your accounts with stronger login habits
Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever possible. Use unique passwords for each account. A password manager can make that easier and reduce risk if one account is exposed. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at CyberGuy.com.
9) Keep your device updated and secure
Make sure your phone’s software is up to date. Security updates can help block malicious links and downloads before they cause harm.
Kurt’s key takeaways
A text like this can look convincing. That’s exactly what it is designed to do. It uses a familiar name like Amazon and urgency to push you into acting fast. Slow down, take a closer look and the red flags start to show up. If something feels off, trust that instinct and verify it before you click anything.
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Would you have clicked that link if it showed up on your phone during a busy day? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Microsoft launched Teams’ Together Mode during the pandemic to give the illusion of a bunch of people sitting in a conference room together, even if they were really sitting at home without pants on. But times have changed, and it’s now being retired in favor of a more simplified Teams experience. The feature used AI to cut your head and shoulds out, and place you in a virtual space with others in the meeting. It could definitely feel gimmicky — especially when you’d tap co-workers on the shoulder, or give virtual high fives — but it did limit visual distractions.
The changes are being rolled out gradually, but as they are, the Together Mode toggle will disappear from the view menu. And Together-specific features, such as scenes and seat assignments, will go along with it. Part of the reasoning, according to Microsoft, is to reduce fragmentation across various platforms. But it also cites a streamlined interface with fewer options, less clicking, and less confusion. It also says this will allow the company to focus on improving video quality, stability, and performance.
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