I sat down in the Musk v. Altman trial courtroom today, painfully aware that no one was going to ask Shivon Zilis the question on everyone’s minds: Girl, what the fuck are you doing?
Technology
Musk’s biggest loyalist became his biggest liability
Zilis, who testified under oath that she is the mother of four of Musk’s children, was… what’s the best way to characterize this? A Musk advisor? She denies she was a “chief of staff” but says she worked for Musk’s “entire AI portfolio: Tesla, Neuralink, and OpenAI” starting in 2017. The two met through OpenAI, and they had what she referred to as a “one off” before becoming “friends and colleagues.” The “one off,” she confirmed, was “romantic in nature.”
Her job under Musk was “to go find bottlenecks and solve them,” and she claims to have worked 80 to 100 hours a week doing that. “It was just bananas,” she said. Her first two children by Musk — twins — were born in 2021, while Zilis was serving on OpenAI’s board. She kept this a secret. She did not tell the board who the father was until Business Insider reported on court documents that listed Musk as the father.
“My first call was to my dad,” said Zilis, who testified that even her own family didn’t know the children’s paternity. “The call right after that was to Sam Altman.” Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president, had testified he found out about Zillis’ children from news reports. When he talked to her about it, she claimed her relationship with Musk was “platonic” and that she’d had kids via IVF. This was reassurance enough for Brockman, who’d been friends with her since 2013. She remained on the board.
On the stand, Zilis spoke softly and quickly. She seemed mousy. A significant part of what made her testimony so bad for Musk was that she appeared to be the only person taking notes on what Brockman, Altman, Ilya Sutsekever, and Musk were discussing when the cofounders considered their options for creating a for-profit arm of OpenAI. She also was “aiding and facilitating communication between the principal parties.” Those notes are the trial’s most important evidence — more important, even, than Brockman’s diary.
The goal of the direct testimony seemed to be to take the sting out of what Zilis and the plaintiff’s lawyers had to know was coming. So she told the court that her role also meant telling Altman when Musk was “in a good headspace” for a conversation — perhaps inadvertently strengthening Brockman’s testimony yesterday that at one point he feared Musk would physically attack him —while vehemently denying that she funneled information to Musk.
Look, she and Musk testified they lived together and have a romantic relationship and four kids. She was originally a plaintiff in the suit. She kept her children’s paternity secret from her own father. All of those things would be reason enough to doubt her testimony about thinking OpenAI betrayed its mission during the chaos when Altman was fired by the board. She claimed that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said something to the effect of “we are above them, we are below them, we are around them” during that chaotic period as being “terrifying.” (The quote was “We are below them, above them, around them.”)
But the notes are really what did Musk’s case in. Try as she might, Zilis couldn’t explain them away.
There were a lot of ideas batted around in 2017 and 2018. We saw a lot of Zilis’ emails from that period. Notably in one, an option was “switch to for profit in next couple of weeks (woah fast!).” Another email noted that a “complete non-negotiable” for Altman, Brockman and Sutskever “is an ironclad agreement to not have Elon (or anyone) have absolutely [sic] control of AGI they create.” In another she wrote to Musk money manager Jared Birchall, “They say they will not move forward without a guarantee to switch away from him having control. You and I can argue that’s stupid all we want but they are holding firm on it.”
“If he hung around E perhaps it would force him to think about humanity more”
Zilis also knew about Musk halting donations before OpenAI did. On August 20, 2017, she wrote, “Funding freeze: OpenAI is likely to realize this week that their $5M in Q3 is, albeit correctly, on hold. Unsure how this will impact negotiations but wanted to flag it since it’s likely to have a big psychological impact on them if they find out.” Musk told Brockman and Sutskever over a week later, on September 1st, that he’d pulled funding.
There were other machinations:
- At one point, Musk seemed to have suggested that she, Sam Teller, and Birchall — two of Musk’s closest fixers — should all take seats on OpenAI’s board so that Musk would have control of the nonprofit. Zilis wrote to Teller that she didn’t share that with the OpenAI team.
- In November 2017, Musk was thinking of creating a “world-class AI lab” inside Tesla. To that end, Musk offered Altman a board seat at Tesla.
- Zilis wrote an email to Musk saying that to save him time she’d brainstormed some solutions for him. Three of them involved developing AGI at Tesla. One was making OpenAI a public benefit corporation subsidiary of Tesla. One was getting Altman as an “anchor” for TeslaAI.
- My favorite of those solutions was: “Find a way to get Demis. Seriously…. Demis really does fanboy hard and I don’t think he’s immoral… just amoral. If he hung around E perhaps it would force him to think about humanity more.”
- After hiring Andrej Karpathy, Musk asked for a list of top OpenAI people to poach.
We had already seen one of her text messages in the docket — the one where Musk leaves the board and she asks him whether she should remain “close and friendly” to continue funneling him information. In her direct testimony, she tried to put that in the context: “They were going through this weird half-breakup,” she said. But in the cross, we found out that she didn’t remember that in her deposition.
“Your long-lost memories have been recovered,” said Sarah Eddy, the OpenAI attorney, in one of the trial’s funnier moments. Sure, Musk’s team objected and the objection was sustained, but we all heard it. In fact, it was one of several times Zilis seemed to have recovered memories she didn’t have at her deposition, memories that — coincidentally I’m sure — happened to be good for Musk’s case.
To be fair, Zilis performed the best under cross examination of anyone we’ve seen so far, but she doesn’t exactly come across as truthful. And there was even more reason to be skeptical of her when we discovered how she left the board, which — according to her deposition — happened “because I picked up a call from Sam and he said, ‘I’ve heard Elon is starting a competitive venture’ and I said, ‘Well if that’s true, this is the time to resign.’”
Her primary allegiance was and is to Musk
Mysteriously, she had forgotten that call between the deposition and today. But she did seem to know that Musk was moving on AI when she texted a friend, who was in her phone as “Shahini Rubicon Fluffer.” (Incredible name. Thomas Pynchon will be so jealous.) “Have to resign OpenAI board btw,” she wrote. “E’s effort has become well-known.” Her friend didn’t seem surprised by the revelation. Zilis went on: “When the father of your babies starts a competitive effort and will recruit out of OpenAI there is nothing to be done.”
Zilis added that Musk “proactively apologized that he had pruned my friend network through this.”
Here’s what it added up to, as far as I am concerned: Her primary allegiance was and is to Musk. To believe she didn’t know about xAI, I would have to believe that despite their — at the time — three children and the time he spent with them every week, he never discussed it with her. I don’t believe that. Who would? There’s enough evidence in her meeting notes to suggest she routinely held back information from OpenAI on Musk’s behalf — xAI would be no different. I also don’t believe that she didn’t give Musk information about the Microsoft deals she approved while sitting on OpenAI’s board.
Musk didn’t have a problem converting the whole of OpenAI to a for-profit or kneecapping the charity by recruiting its strongest researchers. He didn’t mind the idea of subsuming it into Tesla in any of a variety of ways. The thing he did mind was not being in control of it. That’s what I took away from Zilis’ texts and emails.
Brockman and the OpenAI board were incredibly naive to allow Zilis to continue working there after learning of her twins’ paternity. But then, maybe no one expected someone so meek to be so devious. She was smart enough not to raise her voice or nitpick obvious questions during her cross-examination, so her bearing read as more trustworthy than anyone we’ve seen yet. It’s just that the overall takeaway from her written communications is that she’s put Musk first in her life. Everyone else — including, apparently, her own father — comes second. So on the stand, you might as well assume she’s saying what Musk wants to hear too.
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It’s the world’s worst kept secret that Nvidia is about to announce its own Arm-powered laptop chips at Computex this weekend, and now Microsoft, Nvidia, and Arm are all openly teasing the announcement. The Windows and Nvidia GeForce accounts on X both posted “A new era of PC” earlier today, and now Arm has followed up with an identical post.
All three posts include coordinates pointing to where Computex is hosted in Taipei. Nvidia is holding a Computex keynote in Taipei at 8PM PT / 11PM ET on Sunday night, where it’s rumored to be announcing its new N1 and N1x laptop chips.
These Arm-powered Nvidia processors have been long-rumored, with reports earlier this year suggesting that both Lenovo and Dell have been preparing new laptops with the N1X chips. We first heard rumors about Nvidia’s laptop processors in 2023, and Dell CEO Michael Dell hinted at the possibility of an AI PC with Nvidia during an interview in 2024.
Nvidia’s entry into Windows on Arm will mean Qualcomm will no longer have an exclusive license for Microsoft’s Windows 11 Arm variant of its operating system. That’s good news for laptop competition, even if Qualcomm is trying to keep entry-level laptops affordable with its new Snapdragon C platform.
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Hyundai wants to bring humanoid robots into American car factories in a big way. The company is looking at a future where Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robots work alongside people inside U.S. auto plants.
These human-shaped machines can bend, lift, balance and move through spaces built for workers. That could change how cars get made. It could also raise new questions about factory jobs, safety and how much automation consumers are willing to accept.
Here’s what Hyundai is planning and why Atlas could become one of the most closely watched robots in American manufacturing.
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BMW PUTS HUMANOID ROBOTS TO WORK BUILDING EVS
Hyundai Motor Group plans to bring Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid robots into U.S. auto factories as early as 2028. (Hyundai)
Hyundai Atlas robots are headed to U.S. factories
Hyundai Motor Group reportedly outlined plans to deploy more than 25,000 Atlas robots developed by Boston Dynamics across Hyundai Motor and Kia manufacturing facilities. The plan appeared in investor relations materials tied to a JPMorgan Chase-hosted session.
The company also plans to build annual production capacity for 30,000 Atlas robots by 2028. Hyundai has not released a detailed public schedule for every plant. However, Kia CEO Song Ho-sung said the robots are expected to begin work in 2028 at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Georgia. Kia’s Georgia plant would follow in 2029.
Why Hyundai wants Atlas humanoid robots
Hyundai faces the same pressures as other automakers. It needs faster production, flexible factories and better ways to handle labor shortages. Humanoid robots may help because they can work in areas designed for people. That can reduce the need to rebuild a factory from scratch.
Atlas could also help with physically demanding jobs. Lifting, carrying and moving awkward objects can wear down workers over time. If robots take on some of that work, factories could become safer. Still, this technology will need careful oversight. A humanoid robot working near people must move predictably and stop safely when something goes wrong.
INDUSTRIAL EXOSKELETONS HELP WORKERS DO MORE WITH LESS STRAIN
Hyundai’s robot rollout could reshape auto manufacturing while raising questions about jobs, safety and automation. (Hyundai)
How Boston Dynamics trained Atlas to lift
Boston Dynamics recently showed Atlas handling a heavy object in a new technical demo. The robot squatted down, picked up a mini-fridge, rotated its torso and carried the object while keeping its balance. The company says Atlas learned this behavior through reinforcement learning and simulation training. In simple terms, the robot practiced in a computer world before testing the skill in real life.
Engineers changed the object’s weight, floor friction, grip force and placement during training. That helped Atlas learn how to adapt when conditions changed. That is important because factory work rarely happens in perfect conditions. Parts shift. Floors vary. Workers move around. Loads can feel different from one moment to the next. Atlas needs to react in real time, not freeze when a task changes.
What makes Atlas different from older robots
Many robots rely heavily on cameras. Atlas also uses proprioception, which means internal body awareness. That may sound technical, but the idea is easy to understand. When you carry a grocery bag and the weight shifts, you feel it. Your body adjusts before you think about it.
Atlas uses sensors and software to do something similar. It monitors balance, grip pressure, resistance and body movement as it works. Boston Dynamics says the new Atlas platform also helps reduce the gap between simulation and real-world movement. The robot uses a simplified hardware design, symmetrical limbs and only two actuator types.
Actuators are the robot’s joints and muscles. Hyundai reportedly plans to make more than 300,000 actuator units each year at U.S. facilities. That shows Hyundai wants control over the parts that make humanoid robots move.
Hyundai Atlas robots raise job questions
The biggest concern is obvious. What happens to workers when thousands of humanoid robots enter factories? Companies often say robots will take on dull, dirty or dangerous tasks. That may be true in many cases. However, workers will still want clear answers about training, staffing and job security.
The rollout could create new roles in robotics maintenance, safety monitoring and factory software. It could also reduce the need for some physically demanding jobs over time. That trade-off will follow Hyundai’s robot plan closely. The company will need to show that Atlas improves factory safety and productivity without pushing workers aside without support. For now, Hyundai has not provided enough public detail to answer those workforce questions fully.
HUMANOID ROBOTS HANDLE QUALITY CHECKS AND ASSEMBLY AT AUTO PLANT
Hyundai reportedly plans to deploy more than 25,000 Atlas robots across Hyundai and Kia manufacturing facilities. (Hyundai)
What this means to you
This story may sound like it only affects autoworkers or car companies. But it could eventually touch anyone who buys a car. If humanoid robots help factories move faster, automakers may adjust production more quickly when demand changes. That could affect wait times for popular models.
Robot-assisted manufacturing could also influence vehicle costs. Automation can lower some production expenses, although savings do not always reach buyers right away. The bigger shift may be trust. Consumers may soon ask how much of their vehicle was built by humans and how much was handled by robots. That does not automatically make the car better or worse. But it does change the story behind how that car reached your driveway.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Hyundai’s plan to deploy more than 25,000 Atlas humanoid robots in the U.S. marks a major shift for auto manufacturing. This is one of the clearest signs yet that humanoid robots are moving from demos into real industrial work. The Georgia rollout will be especially important. If Atlas performs well at Hyundai and Kia facilities, other automakers may feel pressure to speed up their own robotics plans. Still, the hard part starts on the factory floor. Atlas must work safely around people, handle unpredictable tasks and prove it can do more than impress in videos. The technology is exciting. The job questions are real. Hyundai now has to prove that both can be managed responsibly.
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Would you feel better buying a car built with help from humanoid robots, or would you wonder who got pushed off the factory floor? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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The Acer Nitro Blaze Link might run on Linux, but it’s no Steam Deck. Acer says it’s a “streaming-first handheld and companion device,” like a PlayStation Portal for your PC. Announced ahead of Computex on Friday, it’s launching in Q4 2026 with a 7-inch (1920 x 1200) display, Wi-Fi 6, just 1GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and 8GB of eMMC storage. That’s technically not even enough RAM to run Stardew Valley, but the Blaze Link isn’t meant for playing games locally.
Logitech launched a similar handheld a few years ago, the Logitech G Cloud, that cost $350, included 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and ran on Android. It was a tough sell at that price considering that its performance was dependent on a good internet connection.
Acer hasn’t yet announced a price for the Nitro Blaze Link. But its specs suggest it could cost significantly less than proper handheld gaming PCs — which have been skyrocketing in price — potentially offering a more affordable and streaming-first alternative.
Correction, May 29th: The Nitro Blaze Link was announced ahead of Computex 2026, not at it.
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