OpenAI’s AI Warning Letter, Employee Threats, and Microsoft’s Silent Victory
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According to sources cited by Reuters, a major crisis has erupted within OpenAI, with several researchers writing a letter to the company’s advisory board expressing grave concerns about a “powerful discovery” in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) that could potentially threaten humanity. This comes just days before the triumphant return of OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, after a period of absence.
ChatGPT
The main catalysts leading up to Altman’s dismissal include the “card” and the AI algorithm that underpins ChatGPT, a ground-breaking technology in the field of AI propaganda. As news of Altman’s firing spread, more than 700 OpenAI employees stood in solidarity with their exonerated leader and threatened to resign, with Microsoft being the potential beneficiary of this mass exodus.
To safeguard their investments and prevent any negative fallout from the crisis, major technology companies swiftly took action. Altman’s dismissal appears to be at least partly influenced by the concerns raised in the letter, which specifically highlighted apprehensions about the premature commercialization of AI advancements without adequate understanding of their potential consequences. However, Reuters was unable to obtain a copy of the letter for detailed analysis, and attempts to seek feedback from the employees who authored it went unanswered.
OpenAI
Upon contact, OpenAI initially declined to comment on the matter but later acknowledged the existence of a project called “Q*” in an internal memo to employees and a letter to the management, prior to the events of the weekend. As per a spokesperson for OpenAI, the message sent by executive Mira Murati merely alerted the team to media reports without providing further details on their significance.
Some OpenAI employees speculate that the “Q*” project, pronounced as Q-Star, represents a significant step forward in the company’s exploration of artificial general intelligence (AGI). OpenAI defines AGI as systems that can outperform humans in most economically valuable tasks. It is believed that the new model developed in the “Q*” project has the ability to solve mathematical problems by harnessing extensive computational resources. Despite its current limited testing using elementary school students’ mathematical calculations, researchers remain optimistic about the potential and future of the project.
Researchers view mathematics as a frontier in the development of creative AI. While generative AI excels at tasks such as writing and translating by predicting statistically the next word, tackling accounting tasks that have a single correct answer necessitates the presence of reasoning abilities comparable to those of humans. Researchers in the field believe the progress in this area could pave the way for new scientific studies.
While the exact security concerns raised by the researchers in the letter to the advisory board were not specified, it is evident that the potential dangers posed by AI were a major focal point. The debate surrounding the threat of superintelligent machines and whether they would choose to harm humanity given the opportunity has long preoccupied computer scientists.
Additionally, researchers drew attention to the work of an “IA scientists team,” the existence of which has been corroborated by multiple sources. This team is a result of merging the previously separate “Code Gen” and “Math Gen” teams and is dedicated to optimizing existing AI models to enhance their reasoning capabilities. Ultimately, their aim is to facilitate scientific endeavors, as stated by one team member.
Altman, who played a leading role in propelling the popularity and growth of ChatGPT, managed to secure substantial investments and computing resources from Microsoft, bringing them closer to achieving AGI. During a recent demonstration, Altman unveiled several new tools and confidently declared that significant advancements in AI technology were right around the corner.
Altman had the opportunity to address a group of global leaders in San Francisco at an OpenAI Cooperation Committee meeting, explaining how the progress being made at OpenAI was a personal and professional honor. He expressed his awe at witnessing the veil of ignorance being lifted on multiple occasions throughout OpenAI’s history, including recent breakthroughs that pushed them further into uncharted territory.
However, the very next day, Altman’s tenure as CEO was abruptly terminated by OpenAI’s leadership. The reasons behind this decision remain unclear, leaving the future direction of OpenAI and its potential implications for the field of AI in question.
