OpenAI, the company behind the widely popular AI language model ChatGPT, is exploring investment opportunities in Israel. The announcement was made by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during his visit to Microsoft Israel Research and Development (R&D) Center. Altman, who was hosted by Microsoft during his visit, confirmed that various investment options in Israel are being evaluated, although the company currently favors working from a single location.
While in Israel, Altman praised the country’s exceptional talent pool and expressed his conviction that the local tech ecosystem would play a leading role in the ongoing AI revolution. The CEO dismissed concerns about AI’s potential impact on employment, emphasizing that there would always be work opportunities for human beings. He also asserted that the jobs of the future, nearly a century from now, would be remarkably different from those of the present.
The introduction of ChatGPT by OpenAI has prompted lawmakers worldwide to consider safety concerns surrounding AI, particularly generative AI. While the European Union leads the charge with its proposed AI Act, the United States favors modifying existing regulations rather than creating entirely new ones for AI, and British policymakers are keen to avoid stifling innovation.
Following his visit to Israel, Altman is scheduled to visit Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, India, and South Korea, all within the next week.
