Core Viewpoint - Elon Musk challenges the traditional distinction between scientists and engineers, asserting that the term "researcher" is outdated and that his company xAI will no longer differentiate between the two roles, emphasizing a singular focus on engineering [5][6]. Group 1: Perspectives on the Distinction - The traditional view holds that scientists seek to understand natural laws while engineers focus on applying this knowledge to create practical technologies [3]. - Supporters of Musk's view argue that the distinction serves to exclude those without PhDs and is merely a hierarchical classification in large labs [9][10]. - Critics, including Turing Award winner Yann LeCun, argue that the differences between research and engineering are significant, particularly in methodology, openness, and evaluation standards [15][17]. Group 2: Differences Between Research and Engineering - Research employs scientific methodology to discover new principles and assess their practical effectiveness, with evaluation based on intellectual impact and long-term influence [18]. - Engineering integrates methods to build functional systems, focusing on immediate task performance and product impact, often using different evaluation metrics [19]. - The historical success of research labs in technology advancement is attributed to their clear separation from engineering departments, suggesting that merging the two could stifle breakthrough innovations [19].