OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently addressed an open letter that was released calling for a pause on the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. In his speech at MIT, Altman shared his views on this issue, while also confirming that OpenAI has no current plans of training GPT-5, which is meant to be the successor of GPT-4 AI language model.
Thousands of leading tech personalities, like Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, had signed the open letter asking for a six-month delay in the development of AI advancements more advanced than GPT-4. It highlighted the worry among many people on the race to become more advance mentally due to the potential to invoke biases and the possibility of automated jobs.
Altman agreed with certain parts of the letter, such as the focus of increasing safety for AI. He shared that OpenAI had made use of multiple auditing processes, such as external audits and safety checks, during their training of GPT-4. In addition, Altman rejected the idea of a monetary pause and noted the lack of technical detail in the letter.
Altman further clarified that OpenAI was not training GPT-5 and would instead continue to work towards the shared goal of having worldwide involvement in AI that can lead to the desired end goal of the future. For example, OpenAI has taken extra safety steps and is attempting to protect certain individuals’ data while still being able to practice AI at the same time.
OpenAI, originally founded as a non-profit research laboratory, focuses on researching and developing artificial general intelligence (AGI). It was co-founded by Sam Altman, the current CEO, and several other tech innovators and researchers, including Elon Musk. Since its establishment, the company has made important contributions to the development of artificial intelligence, such as the development of GPT-4 and their recent safety protections and plans for AI.
