Elon Musk and other tech executives have recently called to slow the development of AI chatbots like ChatGPT and have raised some cautionary flags when it comes to these advancing technologies and their potential risks to humanity. While altruistic in intention, cofounder of OpenAI and MBA graduate Reid Hoffman believes that some of the calls may have a deeper motive.
During an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box”, Hoffman spoke on his comparison of where he stands versus that of Musk. He believes that Musk exhibits a ‘It’s only great if I do it’ mentality, a characteristic that has enabled Musk to turn his ventures into successes. Conversely, Hoffman works more towards a ‘distributed’ model, one that not only involves drawing from the expertise of many, but also from the potential scale of many. With regards to ChatGPT models it’s the larger and more ‘aligned with human interests’ models that have been deemed safest thus far.
OpenAI, where both Musk and Hoffman were founders in 2015, has seen many successes and changes to date, including Hoffman leaving its board of directors last month, citing a conflict of interest that outweighed the potential for a “future trillion-dollar company” arising from OpenAI’s works. Meanwhile, Musk left his board of director role two years ago and has since been a vocal critic of the company he cofounded.
Ultimately, when it comes to the development of OpenAI technology, Hoffman is firmly on the side of a distributed model, highlighting the importance of many working collaboratively towards the same conclusion, rather than a singular entity out for glory. While there are some who seek to use AI for their own benefit, Hoffman has chosen to go forth in the realm of ‘many’ in order to create a safer and more prosperous world.
