OpenAI, a San Francisco-based Artificial Intelligence lab founded by tech industry leaders Sam Altman, Ilya Sutskever and Greg Brockman, recently released its fourth iteration of its AI language model, GPT-4. Following the launch, a controversy emerged in the tech world over the development of GPT-5 and the potential risks it may present.
In response to these safety concerns surrounding GPT-5, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently addressed these apprehensions during the “Future of Business With AI” event at the Samberg Conference Center at MIT. Altman confirmed that OpenAI is not currently training GPT-5 and that they will not do so anytime soon.
Altman noted the open letter circulating among the tech world, which called for a temporary halt to developing powerful AI systems like GPT-4, and argued that this letter was “missing most technical nuance about where we need the pause.” Despite no longer working on GPT-5, Altman stressed that OpenAI is actively working on other aspects of GPT-4 and are constantly considering its safety implications.
The open letter was signed by some of the brightest minds from the tech world, such as Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates and Gary Marcus, and it acknowledged the potential dangers of powerful AI systems and asked for their responsible development and deployment.
Altman’s comments conclude that developmental plans for GPT-5 have been suspended for an indefinite period of time. At the same time, OpenAI is still investigating and working on the technology necessary to make GPT-4 and other AI language machines as safe and reliable as possible.
OpenAI is an illustrious research laboratory and company dedicated to conducting artificial intelligence research and development, with a goal of advancing digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity. Founded by tech industry pioneers, OpenAI aims to have artificial intelligence augment human intelligence in order to improve the world.
Sam Altman is a well-known figure in the Silicon Valley technology scene. The entrepreneur, investor and computer scientist graduated from Stanford and is the co-founder of the location-based social networking app, Loopt. He has also previously acted as the president of the startup accelerator, Y Combinator, from 2014 to 2019, where he worked with several startups to shape the direction of the tech industry. Altman is sometimes seen as a controversial figure for his outspoken views on the future of technology, including the notion of providing universal basic income, and the potential uses of AI. He is currently an active investor in various startups, with a focus on those exploring cutting-edge technologies like autonomous vehicles and blockchain.
