Why read this: This short article gives A2 students a real news story about two names they already know: Elon Musk and ChatGPT. The topic is simple to follow because it is a fight between two people, but it also opens up bigger ideas — what a 'nonprofit' is, what a 'court case' is, and why a 'jury' has to listen only to facts. Students learn the story of OpenAI step by step, from 2015 to today, in short sentences they can read alone.
What to notice: Notice the time order in the text: 2015, 2018, 2019, and now. These dates help students follow how the story changed over ten years. Also notice the words 'but' and 'so'. They show a contrast ('But Musk left OpenAI in 2018') or a result ('So in 2019, OpenAI made a new part'). Notice that the article gives two sides — what Musk says, and what OpenAI says back. The last paragraph also explains a hard idea in simple words: a jury must listen to facts, not feelings. Each gloss term ('artificial intelligence', 'civil case', 'jury selection') is explained in the margin.
Skills practised: Reading: following a short news story in time order; finding what each side says in a fight. Vocabulary: learning key words from law and business — 'court', 'judge', 'jury', 'nonprofit', 'civil case', 'jury selection' — many glossed in the margin. Writing: using simple past tense to tell a story ('Musk helped start OpenAI in 2015. He left in 2018.'). Speaking: telling a partner in two or three short sentences why Musk is angry and what OpenAI says back.
Musk and Altman: A Big Court Fight About OpenAI
Twelve normal people will help decide a famous case about the company that makes ChatGPT.
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
Elon Musk is a famous techtech: Technology, especially as applied to a particular industry; a technology company or sector — 科技 leaderleader: A person who is in charge of a group. — 领导者；领袖. He is suingsue: To file a legal action against someone, generally a non-criminal action — 起诉 the company OpenAI. OpenAI makes ChatGPT, a popular artificial intelligence: computer programs that can think or learn in ways like a person; often called AI — 人工智能（让电脑像人一样思考或学习的技术，常常简称 AI） tooltool: An object used for doing a particular job or activity, such as a hammer or knife. — 工具；器具. Sam Altman is the bossboss: The person who is in charge of a workplace and tells others what to do. — 老板；上司 of OpenAI. The two men will meet in courtcourt: A place where legal cases are judged, or an area for playing certain sports. — 法院；球场 on Monday.
Musk helped start OpenAI in 2015. At that time, OpenAI was a nonprofitnonprofit: Not seeking to produce a profit (a financial gain) — 非营利的. A nonprofit is a company that does not work for money. Its job is to help people. Musk gave about 44 million dollars to OpenAI in the early years.
But Musk left OpenAI in 2018 after a big fight with the leaders. Later, he started his own AI company called xAI. After Musk left, OpenAI needed more money. So in 2019, OpenAI made a new part of the company that could earnearn: To receive money in return for work that you do. — 赚取；挣得 money.
Now Musk says this change was wrong. He says OpenAI promised to build safesafe: Free from risk — 无风险的 AI for the public good: to help all people, not just one person or one company — 为了大众的利益，不是为了某个人或某家公司, not for private gain: money or things that one person or one company keeps for themselves — 私人利益（个人或公司自己得到的钱或好处）. He wants the judgejudge: a person in court who decides how criminals should be punished; a person who decides the winner — 法官；裁判 to make OpenAI a nonprofit again. He also wants Altman to lose his job.
OpenAI says Musk is not telling the truthtruth: the real facts about a situation; what is true — 真相；事实. The company says Musk wanted the new for-profitprofit: Money that you gain by selling something for more than it cost you. — 利润；收益 part too. They say he is angry because he could not control the company.
This is a civil case: a court case between two people or companies, not about a crime — 民事案件（两个人或两家公司之间打的官司，不是刑事案件）, not a crimecrime: An action that is against the law. — 犯罪；罪行 case. A group of normalnormal: According to norms or rules or to a regular pattern — 正常的 people will sit on the juryjury: A body of people sworn to give a verdict in a legal case. — 陪审团. The judge will pickpick: To decide upon, from a set of options; to select — 挑选 a large group for jury selection: the work of choosing the people who will sit on the jury — 挑选陪审团（从一群人中选出在法庭上做判断的人） on Monday. It is hard to find people who do not alreadyalready: Before now or before a particular time. — 已经 have strong feelingsfeelings: Emotion; impression — 感受 about Musk and Altman. They are very famous. But the law only asks the jury to listen to the facts in court and decide fairlyfairly: To quite a large degree; more than a little but not very. — 相当地；还算.
Elon Musk is a famous techtech: Technology, especially as applied to a particular industry; a technology company or sector — 科技 leaderleader: A person who is in charge of a group. — 领导者；领袖. He is suingsue: To file a legal action against someone, generally a non-criminal action — 起诉 the company OpenAI. OpenAI makes ChatGPT, a popular artificial intelligence: computer programs that can think or learn in ways like a person; often called AI — 人工智能（让电脑像人一样思考或学习的技术，常常简称 AI） tooltool: An object used for doing a particular job or activity, such as a hammer or knife. — 工具；器具. Sam Altman is the bossboss: The person who is in charge of a workplace and tells others what to do. — 老板；上司 of OpenAI. The two men will meet in courtcourt: A place where legal cases are judged, or an area for playing certain sports. — 法院；球场 on Monday.
Musk helped start OpenAI in 2015. At that time, OpenAI was a nonprofitnonprofit: Not seeking to produce a profit (a financial gain) — 非营利的. A nonprofit is a company that does not work for money. Its job is to help people. Musk gave about 44 million dollars to OpenAI in the early years.
But Musk left OpenAI in 2018 after a big fight with the leaders. Later, he started his own AI company called xAI. After Musk left, OpenAI needed more money. So in 2019, OpenAI made a new part of the company that could earnearn: To receive money in return for work that you do. — 赚取；挣得 money.
Now Musk says this change was wrong. He says OpenAI promised to build safesafe: Free from risk — 无风险的 AI for the public good: to help all people, not just one person or one company — 为了大众的利益，不是为了某个人或某家公司, not for private gain: money or things that one person or one company keeps for themselves — 私人利益（个人或公司自己得到的钱或好处）. He wants the judgejudge: a person in court who decides how criminals should be punished; a person who decides the winner — 法官；裁判 to make OpenAI a nonprofit again. He also wants Altman to lose his job.
OpenAI says Musk is not telling the truthtruth: the real facts about a situation; what is true — 真相；事实. The company says Musk wanted the new for-profitprofit: Money that you gain by selling something for more than it cost you. — 利润；收益 part too. They say he is angry because he could not control the company.
This is a civil case: a court case between two people or companies, not about a crime — 民事案件（两个人或两家公司之间打的官司，不是刑事案件）, not a crimecrime: An action that is against the law. — 犯罪；罪行 case. A group of normalnormal: According to norms or rules or to a regular pattern — 正常的 people will sit on the juryjury: A body of people sworn to give a verdict in a legal case. — 陪审团. The judge will pickpick: To decide upon, from a set of options; to select — 挑选 a large group for jury selection: the work of choosing the people who will sit on the jury — 挑选陪审团（从一群人中选出在法庭上做判断的人） on Monday. It is hard to find people who do not alreadyalready: Before now or before a particular time. — 已经 have strong feelingsfeelings: Emotion; impression — 感受 about Musk and Altman. They are very famous. But the law only asks the jury to listen to the facts in court and decide fairlyfairly: To quite a large degree; more than a little but not very. — 相当地；还算.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
Why is Elon Musk taking OpenAI to court?
- 02
What year did Musk leave OpenAI?
- 03
Why is it hard to find a fair jury for this case?
- 04
Name three important things you learned about OpenAI from this article.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
Describe what Musk wants the judge to do, and what OpenAI says back.
Suggested length: ~50 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
Why is Elon Musk taking OpenAI to court?
- 02
What year did Musk leave OpenAI?
- 03
Why is it hard to find a fair jury for this case?
- 04
Name three important things you learned about OpenAI from this article.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
Describe what Musk wants the judge to do, and what OpenAI says back.
Suggested length: ~50 words