OpenAI, with financial backing from Microsoft and its roster of tech giants, has managed to outdo Google with its ChatGPT generative AI platform. As a result of poaching key personnel from Google, OpenAI has been able to develop a chatbot that is leading the AI space right now. According to a new report, however, the costs of developing and maintaining such AI chatbots are staggering.
Jacob Devlin, a former AI researcher at Google, left the company and joined OpenAI. Long sought after within the industry, Devlin reportedly even tried to alert Google that they were using ChatGPT’s data in an unauthorized manner. Although these claims have yet to be verified, sources allege some of Google’s replies began to mimic ChatGPT’s answers, leading to a potential violation of OpenAI’s usage policies.
Google has categorically denied any wrongdoing but may have taken measures to ensure authenticity and accuracy with its AI chatbot Bard. Regardless, OpenAI’s expenses due to poaching key personnel alongside normally expected costs, including pooling vast resources and spending on computational power, have been more than daunting as can be evidenced by their losses of $540 million just last year.
While generating such AI platforms are costly and time-consuming, OpenAI has not only pushed forward but mastered it due to their access to the right talent and resources. Jacob Devlin is among the most well-known members poached from Google and is a prime example of OpenAI’s success in this field. Their speed and leadership in the AI field have certainly caused quite a stir, and with the continued financial support from Microsoft, it’s likely that OpenAI’s success will continue.