Why read this: This B2 article gives students a controlled way into a court-news story your students will already half-know from headlines about ChatGPT. Most learners can name OpenAI and Musk but not say what a civil case, a nonprofit charity or an IPO actually is. The article uses that prior knowledge as a doorway, then teaches the legal and business frame underneath — why the trial matters for OpenAI's listing plans, why fair jurors are hard to find, and how the same lawsuit can be told as a defence of a public-good mission or as a personal feud. It is a useful chance for upper-intermediate students to read journalism that holds two competing accounts in tension without picking a winner.
What to notice: Watch how the writer keeps two stories side by side. Musk frames the case as defending OpenAI's nonprofit mission; OpenAI frames it as jealousy after Musk walked away. Neither side is endorsed — students have to notice that the article is staging the dispute, not resolving it. Notice also the modal hedging in paragraph two ('could fall apart', 'might lose their jobs') and how the writer signals that consequences are possible but not certain. Finally, notice the corporate timeline embedded in paragraph six (2015 charity, 2018 exit, 2019 for-profit subsidiary, last-year AG approval) — this short stretch of text demands active date-tracking and is a good place to slow down and check comprehension.
Skills practised: Students practise three skills core to B2 reading. (1) Tracking competing positions across paragraphs — Musk's claim, OpenAI's counter-claim, and Lippy's neutral legal voice — and recognising that the writer presents both without taking sides. (2) Reading legal and business vocabulary in context: the margin glosses unpack twenty-five phrases including 'civil case', 'jury selection', 'for-profit subsidiary', 'attorneys general', 'blockbuster IPO' and 'public-good mission', so students build a small domain lexicon as they read. (3) Inferring stakes from indirect signals — phrases such as 'could fall apart', 'made this personal' and 'tech soap opera' invite students to weigh how serious the consequences are. The MCQs target factual recall and authorial stance; the open questions push students to assemble evidence on each side of the motive question.
Musk vs. OpenAI: Can a Fair Jury Be Found?
A small group of ordinary people will soon help decide the future of the company behind ChatGPT, even though they may know little about the technology.
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
Elon Musk's lawsuitlawsuit: a legal action brought before a court to resolve a dispute between parties — 诉讼；官司 against OpenAI, the makermaker: A person or company that makes something — 制造商 of ChatGPT, and its leaders, including CEO Sam Altman, heads to court: goes to a court of law to be decided by a judge or jury. — 进入法庭审理。 on Monday. Some of the biggest names in technology are expected to take the stand: to sit in the special seat in court and answer questions as a witness. — 出庭作证。 and explain whether the company's executivesexecutive: A senior manager in a business or organisation; the branch of government responsible for implementing laws. — 高管；行政人员 misledmislead: To deceive by telling lies or otherwise giving a false impression — 误导 Musk and abandonedabandon: To leave a place, thing, or person permanently; to give up completely — 放弃；遗弃 its original nonprofit mission: the goal of an organisation that exists to help people, not to make money for owners. — 非营利使命。 when it added a for-profit arm: a part of an organisation that is set up to earn money for its owners or investors. — 营利部门。.
The trialtrial: An opportunity to test something out; a test — 试验 arrives at a delicatedelicate: Easily broken or damaged; requiring careful and sensitive handling. — 精致的；微妙的；脆弱的 moment for OpenAI. A blockbuster IPO: a very large and exciting first sale of a company's shares to the public. — 轰动性首次公开募股。 is on the horizon: likely to happen soon. — 即将发生。, and competition with rival firmsfirm: A business or company, especially a small one. — 公司；商行 is fiercefierce: Exceedingly violent, severe, ferocious, cruel or savage — 激烈的；凶猛的. If Musk wins, those listing plans could fall apart: to fail or stop working as a plan. — 破灭，失败。. Altman and co-founderfounder: A person who establishes an institution or organisation. — 创始人；创办者 Greg Brockman might lose their jobs, which would clear an easier path for Musk's own artificial intelligence: computer systems that can perform tasks that usually need human thinking, such as understanding language. — 人工智能。 company, xAI, to get ahead: to make progress and become more successful than competitors. — 领先，胜出。.
“This is a tech soap opera: a long, dramatic public quarrel between people in the technology industry. — 科技界的肥皂剧式纷争。 that all investorsinvestor: A person or organisation that puts money into financial schemes or businesses with the expectation of profit. — 投资者 will be watching,” said Wedbush analystanalyst: A person who examines data or situations in detail to provide insights or recommendations. — 分析师；分析员 Dan Ives. He warned that ugly arguments would fly between the two men, adding that Musk has clearly made this personal: turned a business or public dispute into a personal fight driven by feelings. — 把事情变成个人恩怨。.
Yet because the case involves the world's richest man and a company that has become synonymous with: so closely connected with something that the two are seen as the same thing. — 与……同义；象征着。 AI, finding fair jurorsjuror: A member of a jury — 陪审员 will be difficult. Musk and Altman are not only chiefchief: Highest in rank or authority — 首席的 executives; they are celebrities. Many possible jurors, especially in Silicon Valley, will already hold strong views about these titans of tech: very powerful and famous leaders in the technology industry. — 科技巨头。.
That alone, however, is not a problem. “The law does not require jurors who have never heard of Elon Musk or AI,” said Professor Elizabeth Lippy of Temple University law school. “It requires jurors who can put asideaside: To one side; out of the way; apart from the main topic. — 在旁边；到一边 what they have heard and decide the case based on the evidence in court.” To make this possible, the judge has called a much larger group of candidates for jury selection: the process of choosing the people who will sit on a jury for a trial. — 陪审团遴选。, about three times the usual number for a civil case: a court case between two private sides, usually about money or rights, not a crime. — 民事案件。. The jury's verdictverdict: a decision on an issue, especially the formal finding of a jury in a court of law — 裁决；判决；定论 will only be a recommendation to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who will issue the final rulingruling: an authoritative decision or judgement, especially one made by a court or official body — 裁决；裁定 herself.
Musk co-foundedfound: To establish an institution or organisation, especially by providing money. — 创立；创办 OpenAI as a charity in 2015 and says he gave around $44 million during its early years. He left in 2018 after a bitterbitter: Having a sharp, unpleasant taste; feeling angry or resentful. — 苦的；痛苦的；怨恨的 strugglestruggle: Strife, contention, great effort — 斗争 for control, then started xAI. Once Musk was gone, OpenAI needed more money. A for-profit subsidiary: a smaller company set up to earn money and owned or controlled by a larger organisation. — 营利性子公司。 was set up in 2019 and later became a public benefit company supervisedsupervise: To direct, manage, or oversee; to be in charge of — 监督；管理 by the original charity. The attorneys general: the top government lawyers of a state or country, who can approve or block major corporate decisions. — 司法部长（复数）。 of California and Delaware approvedapprove: To officially agree to or accept something as satisfactory. — 批准；赞成 this change last year.
Musk argues that the shift broke OpenAI's promise to develop safe open-source AI: AI software whose code is shared freely so that anyone can study, use, or improve it. — 开源人工智能。 for the public good: for the benefit of society as a whole, not for a small group of owners. — 为了公共利益。, not for private gain: personal profit for an individual or a single company. — 私人利益。. He wants the judge to return OpenAI to its old nonprofit form, remove Altman and Brockman as board member: a person who sits on the group of people that controls and guides a company. — 董事会成员。, and award more than $130 billion in damages, with the money going to the charity rather than to him personally.
OpenAI tells a different story. It claims Musk himself pushed for a profit-making structure and only left because he could not take total control. According to the company, the lawsuit is driven by jealousyjealousy: A resentment towards someone for a perceived advantage or superiority they hold — 嫉妒, regret over walking away from: leaving something, such as a job or project, often by choice. — 放弃，离开。 OpenAI, and a wish to damage a rival.
“The underlyingunderlying: Basic or fundamental — 根本的 issue is real,” Lippy said. “Can a company sell a public-good mission: a stated goal of helping society rather than making money. — 服务公共利益的使命。 and later become something else? At the same time, jurors will be weighing Musk's motivesmotive: a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious — 动机；目的. Is this about principleprinciple: A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as a basis for a system of belief or behaviour. — 原则；原理, or about competition? That tensiontension: Mental or emotional strain; a state of strained relations between people or groups. — 紧张；紧张局势 will drive the entireentire: Whole; complete in every part. — 全部的；整个的 case.” She added that, in the end, “the winning side will be the one that turns the documents into a simple human story: an easy-to-follow narrative about real people that ordinary listeners can believe. — 简单易懂的人性化故事。 jurors can believe.” Either way, the result will shape an impartial jury: a group of citizens chosen to decide a case fairly, without favouring either side. — 公正的陪审团。's view of how AI itself should be governedgovern: To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in — 治理.
Elon Musk's lawsuitlawsuit: a legal action brought before a court to resolve a dispute between parties — 诉讼；官司 against OpenAI, the makermaker: A person or company that makes something — 制造商 of ChatGPT, and its leaders, including CEO Sam Altman, heads to court: goes to a court of law to be decided by a judge or jury. — 进入法庭审理。 on Monday. Some of the biggest names in technology are expected to take the stand: to sit in the special seat in court and answer questions as a witness. — 出庭作证。 and explain whether the company's executivesexecutive: A senior manager in a business or organisation; the branch of government responsible for implementing laws. — 高管；行政人员 misledmislead: To deceive by telling lies or otherwise giving a false impression — 误导 Musk and abandonedabandon: To leave a place, thing, or person permanently; to give up completely — 放弃；遗弃 its original nonprofit mission: the goal of an organisation that exists to help people, not to make money for owners. — 非营利使命。 when it added a for-profit arm: a part of an organisation that is set up to earn money for its owners or investors. — 营利部门。.
The trialtrial: An opportunity to test something out; a test — 试验 arrives at a delicatedelicate: Easily broken or damaged; requiring careful and sensitive handling. — 精致的；微妙的；脆弱的 moment for OpenAI. A blockbuster IPO: a very large and exciting first sale of a company's shares to the public. — 轰动性首次公开募股。 is on the horizon: likely to happen soon. — 即将发生。, and competition with rival firmsfirm: A business or company, especially a small one. — 公司；商行 is fiercefierce: Exceedingly violent, severe, ferocious, cruel or savage — 激烈的；凶猛的. If Musk wins, those listing plans could fall apart: to fail or stop working as a plan. — 破灭，失败。. Altman and co-founderfounder: A person who establishes an institution or organisation. — 创始人；创办者 Greg Brockman might lose their jobs, which would clear an easier path for Musk's own artificial intelligence: computer systems that can perform tasks that usually need human thinking, such as understanding language. — 人工智能。 company, xAI, to get ahead: to make progress and become more successful than competitors. — 领先，胜出。.
“This is a tech soap opera: a long, dramatic public quarrel between people in the technology industry. — 科技界的肥皂剧式纷争。 that all investorsinvestor: A person or organisation that puts money into financial schemes or businesses with the expectation of profit. — 投资者 will be watching,” said Wedbush analystanalyst: A person who examines data or situations in detail to provide insights or recommendations. — 分析师；分析员 Dan Ives. He warned that ugly arguments would fly between the two men, adding that Musk has clearly made this personal: turned a business or public dispute into a personal fight driven by feelings. — 把事情变成个人恩怨。.
Yet because the case involves the world's richest man and a company that has become synonymous with: so closely connected with something that the two are seen as the same thing. — 与……同义；象征着。 AI, finding fair jurorsjuror: A member of a jury — 陪审员 will be difficult. Musk and Altman are not only chiefchief: Highest in rank or authority — 首席的 executives; they are celebrities. Many possible jurors, especially in Silicon Valley, will already hold strong views about these titans of tech: very powerful and famous leaders in the technology industry. — 科技巨头。.
That alone, however, is not a problem. “The law does not require jurors who have never heard of Elon Musk or AI,” said Professor Elizabeth Lippy of Temple University law school. “It requires jurors who can put asideaside: To one side; out of the way; apart from the main topic. — 在旁边；到一边 what they have heard and decide the case based on the evidence in court.” To make this possible, the judge has called a much larger group of candidates for jury selection: the process of choosing the people who will sit on a jury for a trial. — 陪审团遴选。, about three times the usual number for a civil case: a court case between two private sides, usually about money or rights, not a crime. — 民事案件。. The jury's verdictverdict: a decision on an issue, especially the formal finding of a jury in a court of law — 裁决；判决；定论 will only be a recommendation to Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who will issue the final rulingruling: an authoritative decision or judgement, especially one made by a court or official body — 裁决；裁定 herself.
Musk co-foundedfound: To establish an institution or organisation, especially by providing money. — 创立；创办 OpenAI as a charity in 2015 and says he gave around $44 million during its early years. He left in 2018 after a bitterbitter: Having a sharp, unpleasant taste; feeling angry or resentful. — 苦的；痛苦的；怨恨的 strugglestruggle: Strife, contention, great effort — 斗争 for control, then started xAI. Once Musk was gone, OpenAI needed more money. A for-profit subsidiary: a smaller company set up to earn money and owned or controlled by a larger organisation. — 营利性子公司。 was set up in 2019 and later became a public benefit company supervisedsupervise: To direct, manage, or oversee; to be in charge of — 监督；管理 by the original charity. The attorneys general: the top government lawyers of a state or country, who can approve or block major corporate decisions. — 司法部长（复数）。 of California and Delaware approvedapprove: To officially agree to or accept something as satisfactory. — 批准；赞成 this change last year.
Musk argues that the shift broke OpenAI's promise to develop safe open-source AI: AI software whose code is shared freely so that anyone can study, use, or improve it. — 开源人工智能。 for the public good: for the benefit of society as a whole, not for a small group of owners. — 为了公共利益。, not for private gain: personal profit for an individual or a single company. — 私人利益。. He wants the judge to return OpenAI to its old nonprofit form, remove Altman and Brockman as board member: a person who sits on the group of people that controls and guides a company. — 董事会成员。, and award more than $130 billion in damages, with the money going to the charity rather than to him personally.
OpenAI tells a different story. It claims Musk himself pushed for a profit-making structure and only left because he could not take total control. According to the company, the lawsuit is driven by jealousyjealousy: A resentment towards someone for a perceived advantage or superiority they hold — 嫉妒, regret over walking away from: leaving something, such as a job or project, often by choice. — 放弃，离开。 OpenAI, and a wish to damage a rival.
“The underlyingunderlying: Basic or fundamental — 根本的 issue is real,” Lippy said. “Can a company sell a public-good mission: a stated goal of helping society rather than making money. — 服务公共利益的使命。 and later become something else? At the same time, jurors will be weighing Musk's motivesmotive: a reason for doing something, especially one that is hidden or not obvious — 动机；目的. Is this about principleprinciple: A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as a basis for a system of belief or behaviour. — 原则；原理, or about competition? That tensiontension: Mental or emotional strain; a state of strained relations between people or groups. — 紧张；紧张局势 will drive the entireentire: Whole; complete in every part. — 全部的；整个的 case.” She added that, in the end, “the winning side will be the one that turns the documents into a simple human story: an easy-to-follow narrative about real people that ordinary listeners can believe. — 简单易懂的人性化故事。 jurors can believe.” Either way, the result will shape an impartial jury: a group of citizens chosen to decide a case fairly, without favouring either side. — 公正的陪审团。's view of how AI itself should be governedgovern: To make and administer the public policy and affairs of; to exercise sovereign authority in — 治理.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
Why might OpenAI's planned IPO be in danger?
- 02
What does Professor Lippy say is the legal standard for jurors?
- 03
How does the article present the conflict over Musk's true motives?
- 04
How does the trial show that being famous can make a fair court case harder to run?
Suggested length: ~80 words
- 05
Based on the article, what evidence supports each side's view of why Musk is suing OpenAI?
Suggested length: ~80 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
Why might OpenAI's planned IPO be in danger?
- 02
What does Professor Lippy say is the legal standard for jurors?
- 03
How does the article present the conflict over Musk's true motives?
- 04
How does the trial show that being famous can make a fair court case harder to run?
Suggested length: ~80 words
- 05
Based on the article, what evidence supports each side's view of why Musk is suing OpenAI?
Suggested length: ~80 words