In an effort to encourage caution in developing artificial intelligence (AI), tech leaders such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak have signed a letter calling for a six-month halt of AI research. In response to this open letter, the CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman stated that the letter was “missing most technical nuance about where we need the pause”. Altman mentioned this during a video appearance at an MIT event where AI and business were discussed.
However, Altman was in favour of a gradual shift towards increasing the safety measures that come along with advancements in AI. Additionally, he noted that caution should be exercised as capabilities become more serious. The letter signed by Musk proposes that AI labs and independent experts should use this opportunity to create a set of safety protocols that are strictly monitored by independent specialists.
In March this year, Altman was cautious about the capabilities of the chatbot built by OpenAI, named ChatGPT, that can generate human-like responses to questions from its users. He commented on how it can be used for large-scale disinformation, code writing and offensive cyberattacks. To combat these issues, Altman noted that the tool is still under human control.
OpenAI is a software development firm established in San Francisco in 2015. The company focuses on AI research, development and its applications. OpenAI is constantly exploring and making advancements in AI-based technologies, chatbot being one of them.
Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI and president of Y Combinator, a seed accelerator program that provides access to a network of startup founders, experts and investors. Altman is an active investor in the tech industry, and has investments in over 250 startups. He was also an early investor in PayPal, Reddit and Airbnb.
