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作為OpenAI的創始人之一，埃隆·馬斯克和奧特曼對AI的觀點有何差異？
The econimist,Reading Partner,4分钟
OpenAI's flip-flop will not get Elon Musk off its back
from: The Economist
It was a timely win for Elon Musk. The world's richest man, whose business empire has recently been dragged down by his penchant for far-right politics, has long pursued a vendetta against Sam Altman, boss of OpenAI.
In recent months Mr. Musk, who helped establish the artificial-intelligence (AI) lab but left in 2018, has sought to block its proposed conversion into a for-profit company, deploying various methods including an unsolicited (and unsuccessful) $97bn bid for the assets of the non-profit entity that controls it.
Mr.Musk was thus surely grinning when, on May 5th, Mr. Altman announced that OpenAI had abandoned the planned conversion. The u-turn means a company valued at $300bn in its latest funding round will stay controlled by a non-profit board with a fuzzy mission to help "benefit all of humanity".
That could present big problems for Mr. Altman. OpenAI's structure will remain baffling. The company is made up of a for-profit entity—in which outside parties can invest, entitling them to a return up to a maximum value—nestled inside a non-profit entity.
As previously planned, the for-profit entity will become a public-benefit corporation that seeks to serve both its shareholders and society at large; outside investors will receive stakes in the new company. But plans to unshackle it from the control of the non-profit and its board have been dropped.
Of most concern for OpenAI is how this affects its ability to raise money. It is burning through significant amounts of cash as it invests to develop ever smarter models, and seems unlikely to turn a profit in the near future. When the company announced its previous plan to restructure in December, it cited its vast funding needs. "Investors want to back us but, at this scale of capital, need conventional equity and less structural bespokeness, " it said at the time.
OpenAI's non-profit board, which temporarily ousted Mr. Altman in November 2023, is a particular concern for some investors. It has since been expanded and packed with people sympathetic to Mr. Altman's ambitions. But it remains unclear how the board will balance his desire to rapidly develop AI models as clever as humans with concerns over the safety of the technology.
Mr. Altman has argued that, despite the u-turn, OpenAI will still be able to secure the funding it needs. In particular, he has said that the $30bn promised by Softbank, a Japanese tech conglomerate, is still on the table. Microsoft, the biggest investor in OpenAI's for-profit entity, remains sanguine. But new investors may balk at pouring money into a company whose controlling board does not need to take their interests into account.
Meanwhile, ditching its previous plan will not spare OpenAI from prying regulators. The company said that its about-facefollowed talks with civic leaders and the attorneys-general of Delaware, where OpenAI is incorporated, and California, where it is based. The California Department of Justice said it was reviewing the new plan. Delaware found it encouraging. But as a non-profit entity, OpenAI will continue to fall under their regulatory aegis. It can expect ongoing scrutiny.
Nor has Mr. Altman succeeded in getting Mr. Musk off his back. Shortly after the announcement of OpenAI's reversal, Marc Toberoff, Mr. Musk's lawyer, declared that it "changes nothing", as the company's founding mission to develop AI that benefits all of humanity "remains betrayed". Mr. Musk, who runs a rival lab, xAI, intends to proceed with a lawsuit to block OpenAI's restructuring.
He will continue to be a thorn in Mr. Altman's side.
文章註釋（僅供參考）：
It was a timely win for Elon Musk.
對於埃隆·馬斯克（Elon Musk）來說，這是一場及時的勝利。
timely: happening at a suitable or opportune time;
及時的
The world's richest man, whose business empire has recently been dragged down by his penchant for far-right politics, has long pursued a vendetta against Sam Altman, boss of OpenAI.
這位全球首富的商業帝國近期因其對極右翼政治的熱衷而備受拖累，而他長期以來一直對OpenAI的首席執行官山姆·奧特曼（Sam Altman）心懷不滿。
dragged: pulled along with effort or difficulty;
拖累的
penchant: a strong or habitual liking for something;
熱衷
vendetta: a prolonged bitter quarrel with or campaign against someone;
心懷不滿
In recent months Mr. Musk, who helped establish the artificial-intelligence (AI) lab but left in 2018, has sought to block its proposed conversion into a for-profit company, deploying various methods including an unsolicited (and unsuccessful) $97bn bid for the assets of the non-profit entity that controls it.
馬斯克曾參與創立這家人工智慧（AI）實驗室，但於2018年離開。近幾個月來，他試圖阻止OpenAI從非營利機構轉型為營利性公司的計畫，甚至提出了一項未經請求（且未成功）的970億美元收購要約，意圖買下控制OpenAI的非營利實體資產。
unsolicited: not requested or asked for;
未經請求的
Mr.Musk was thus surely grinning when, on May 5th, Mr. Altman announced that OpenAI had abandoned the planned conversion.
因此，當5月5日奧特曼宣佈OpenAI放棄轉型計畫時，馬斯克想必露出了笑容。
grinning: smiling broadly;
露出笑容的
The u-turn means a company valued at $300bn in its latest funding round will stay controlled by a non-profit board with a fuzzy mission to help "benefit all of humanity".
這一反轉意味著，這家最新一輪融資估值達3000億美元的公司將繼續由非營利董事會控制，而其使命仍模糊地指向“造福全人類”。
u-turn: a reversal of policy or strategy;
反轉
fuzzy: unclear or indistinct;
模糊的
That could present big problems for Mr. Altman.
這對奧特曼來說可能帶來大問題。
OpenAI's structure will remain baffling.
OpenAI的架構仍令人困惑。
baffling: impossible to understand; perplexing;
令人困惑的
The company is made up of a for-profit entity—in which outside parties can invest, entitling them to a return up to a maximum value—nestled inside a non-profit entity.
該公司由一家營利性實體巢狀在非營利實體中構成——外部投資者可向營利實體注資並獲得有限回報。
nestled: situated comfortably within or against something;
巢狀的
As previously planned, the for-profit entity will become a public-benefit corporation that seeks to serve both its shareholders and society at large; outside investors will receive stakes in the new company.
按原計畫，營利實體將轉型為一家“公益公司”，既服務於股東，也兼顧社會利益；外部投資者將獲得新公司的股份。
But plans to unshackle it from the control of the non-profit and its board have been dropped.
但此前關於將其從非營利董事會控制中解放的計畫已被放棄。
unshackle: free from restrictions;
解放
Of most concern for OpenAI is how this affects its ability to raise money.
OpenAI最擔憂的是這一決定對其融資能力的影響。
It is burning through significant amounts of cash as it invests to develop ever smarter models, and seems unlikely to turn a profit in the near future.
隨著公司不斷投入巨資開發更智能的AI模型，其現金消耗速度驚人，且短期內難以盈利。
When the company announced its previous plan to restructure in December, it cited its vast funding needs.
去年12月宣佈重組計畫時，OpenAI就提到其龐大的資金需求。
"Investors want to back us but, at this scale of capital, need conventional equity and less structural bespokeness, " it said at the time.
“投資者願意支援我們，但在如此大規模的資本需求下，他們需要傳統股權結構，而非定製化的複雜架構。”
bespokeness: the quality of being custom-made or tailored;
定製化的
OpenAI's non-profit board, which temporarily ousted Mr. Altman in November 2023, is a particular concern for some investors.
OpenAI的非營利董事會（曾在2023年11月短暫罷免奧特曼）令部分投資者尤為不安。
It has since been expanded and packed with people sympathetic to Mr. Altman's ambitions.
此後董事會雖已擴容，並吸納了支援奧特曼願景的人士。
sympathetic: showing approval or support;
支援的
But it remains unclear how the board will balance his desire to rapidly develop AI models as clever as humans with concerns over the safety of the technology.
但如何平衡他對快速開發“與人類智力相當”的AI模型的追求與技術安全的隱憂，仍不明朗。
Mr. Altman has argued that, despite the u-turn, OpenAI will still be able to secure the funding it needs.
奧特曼辯稱，儘管計畫生變，OpenAI仍能獲得所需資金。
In particular, he has said that the $30bn promised by Softbank, a Japanese tech conglomerate, is still on the table.
他特別提到日本科技巨頭軟銀承諾的300億美元投資依然有效。
Microsoft, the biggest investor in OpenAI's for-profit entity, remains sanguine.
最大投資方微軟也保持樂觀。
sanguine: optimistic or positive, especially in a difficult situation;
樂觀的
But new investors may balk at pouring money into a company whose controlling board does not need to take their interests into account.
但新投資者可能會對一家控制權掌握在無需考慮其利益的董事會手中的公司望而卻步。
balk: hesitate or be unwilling to accept an idea or undertaking;
望而卻步的
Meanwhile, ditching its previous plan will not spare OpenAI from prying regulators.
與此同時，放棄原計畫並不能讓OpenAI避開監管審查。
ditching: getting rid of or abandoning something;
放棄的
spare: refrain from harming or affecting;
避開的
pry: to force something open;
探查
The company said that its about-face followed talks with civic leaders and the attorneys-general of Delaware, where OpenAI is incorporated, and California, where it is based.
公司稱，這一轉變是在與民間領袖、註冊地特拉華州及總部所在地加利福尼亞州的司法部長協商後作出的。
about-face: a complete change of attitude or opinion;
轉變的
civic: relating to a city or town, especially its administration;
民間的
attorneys-general: the principal legal officers who represent a country or state in legal proceedings;
司法部長
incorporated: formed into a legal corporation;
註冊的，合併的
The California Department of Justice said it was reviewing the new plan. Delaware found it encouraging.
加州司法部表示正在審查新計畫，而特拉華州則對此表示支援。
But as a non-profit entity, OpenAI will continue to fall under their regulatory aegis. It can expect ongoing scrutiny.
不過，作為非營利實體，OpenAI將繼續接受兩州監管，未來難免面臨持續審查。
aegis: the protection, backing, or support of a particular person or organization;
監管
scrutiny: critical observation or examination;
審查的
Nor has Mr. Altman succeeded in getting Mr. Musk off his back.
奧特曼也未能擺脫馬斯克的糾纏。
Shortly after the announcement of OpenAI's reversal, Marc Toberoff, Mr. Musk's lawyer, declared that it "changes nothing", as the company's founding mission to develop AI that benefits all of humanity "remains betrayed".
在OpenAI宣佈反轉後不久，馬斯克的律師馬克·托貝洛夫（Marc Toberoff）宣稱“這毫無意義”，因為公司“造福全人類”的創立使命“仍被背叛”。
Mr. Musk, who runs a rival lab, xAI, intends to proceed with a lawsuit to block OpenAI's restructuring.
馬斯克旗下競品實驗室xAI計畫繼續推進訴訟，以阻止OpenAI重組。
proceed: begin or continue a course of action;
繼續推進的
He will continue to be a thorn in Mr. Altman's side.
他仍將是奧特曼的眼中釘。 (Reading Partner)