At TED2023, the annual conference held in Vancouver, the co-founder of OpenAI, Greg Brockman, highlighted the controversial topic of the messy roll-out of powerful technologies such as language models like ChatGPT-4. Brockman asserted that while it may not be ideal, this roll-out of technology can be beneficial as it allows for better checks and balances of artificial intelligence (AI) technology before it is widely released.
Brockman encouraged companies to confront reality and release their products incrementally to better assess the impact of the technology on the public. By allowing feedback right when products come out, this would allow people to become conversant in the emerging AI technology and in turn, they could decide the purpose they want it to serve.
Chris Anderson, the head of the conference, juxtaposed Brockman’s position by arguing that releasing AI technology too early can create a scenario in which competitors might create similar products in order to stay competitive. As well as this, Anderson noted that when any kind of technology is released, once it leaves the laboratory, it is virtually impossible to take back.
These opinions on the public release of AI technology echo those of the open letter authored by the Future of Life Institute. The letter, signed by over 26 000 people, is asking for a temporary pause for the next six months for any artificial intelligence more powerful than ChatGPT-4. The group claims that more time is necessary to develop and implement a set of common safety protocols.
Brockman demonstrated how powerful ChatGPT-4 is in a live demonstration, using the algorithm to create a picture of a meal – and ordering the ingredients to create said meal – based upon his directives. It is clear to see, in the event’s appreciation of his tweet that was generated by the AI, that this technology has the potential to be a huge game changer.
OpenAI, founded by Greg Brockman, is an AI research lab that is dedicated to producing beneficial artificial general intelligence (AGI) in a transparent, safe and responsible way. OpenAI is working to eliminate barriers for developing powerful AI and opening it up to all. Additionally, OpenAI’s mission aspires to uphold the human values that are incorporated into the principles of its research.
As for Greg Brockman, he is an engineer, entrepreneur, and investor who has experience as a software engineer in tech firms like Stripe and a research affiliate at Harvard’s Program of Evolutionary Dynamics. He co-founded and is the CTO of OpenAI, where he serves on the board of trustees. In his role, Brockman oversees the engineering division, credit assignment, and related interdisciplinary projects. He is also an investor in numerous startups in the AI and health care sectors.
