OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman spoke about future projects, relations with Microsoft, and his view of artificial general intelligence. This was reported by TechCrunch.
In an interview with the publication, the entrepreneur declined to discuss the company’s current business relationships. However, he noted that the partnership with Microsoft is not exclusive.
According to Altman, OpenAI could create its own software products in addition to licensing technologies to third-party companies. At the same time, the startup does not intend to “bury” any of the giants with its developments. He commented on the popular internet thesis that ChatGPT would become the “Google Search killer.”
“Whenever someone says that a technology is the end of another giant company, that is a misconception. People forget that there can be a countermove here, and they are quite smart, quite capable,” he replied.
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Asked about the release of GPT-4, Altman stated that the company would release the language model when it is convinced of its safety. But he quickly sought to temper expectations of those who think the new algorithm will reach artificial general intelligence.
“We do not have true artificial general intelligence. I think that’s what people are waiting for from us, and GPT-4 will disappoint such people,” he said.
The closer we approach AGI, the harder it will be for me to answer, because I think the transition will be far more gradual and less defined than people think.
Regarding the safety of OpenAI technologies, Altman said the company runs a number of internal processes aimed at trying to break the algorithms and study the consequences.
“We use external auditors. We have external testing teams. We work with other laboratories and safety organisations,” he added.
According to the businessman, people must learn to live alongside the technologies released by OpenAI and other companies.
“There may be ways we can help teachers detect outputs from a GPT-like system, but, honestly, a determined person will bypass them. I don’t think society should rely on them in the long term,” the entrepreneur admitted.
He is confident that technologies should be released into the world here and now, while companies and organisations gradually master the innovations. Otherwise, if we wait until the entire industry develops a multitude of tools, society will not have time to prepare for the changes.
As an example, Altman cited calculators and Google, which changed the ways of performing mathematical calculations and remembering information. He described deep learning models as a “more extreme version” of both developments, yet the benefits from them are “also more extreme.”
“We hear concerns from teachers about the impact of [ChatGPT] on homework. But we also hear those who say, ‘Wow, it’s an incredible personal tutor for every child,’” he said.
Earlier in January, media reported that Microsoft planned to invest in OpenAI $10 billion.
In the same month, the tech giant released a cloud service Azure OpenAI to general availability.
In March 2021, Sam Altman stated that in the next ten years AI will create enough wealth to pay every American $13 500 per year.
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