The founders of OpenAI, a company at the forefront of AI development, expressed their concerns that the use of “super-intelligent” AI might lead to catastrophic consequences. In a note on their website they called for international regulations and oversight for AI systems that carry “existential risk”. Co-founders Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and Ilya Sutskever argue that such a powerful technology should be carefully balanced with safety to ensure a “prosperous future”.
In the short term, they suggest that companies developing AI technology enter agreements or engage in some form of cooperation to restrain growth of AI capability. They propose that an international body could lead the effort to ensure that AI development keeps pace with existing technology and safety guidelines.
The potential risks associated with unnatural intelligence are numerous. The Center for AI Safety (CAIS) identifies eight main categories of harm, ranging from disrupting work opportunities and damaging long-standing value systems, to the complete destruction of humanity either accidentally or on purpose.
Moreover, due to its invasive nature, AI development threatens to alienate people and demolish existing cultures, particularly in Africa. Despite the potential risks, OpenAI’s leaders believe advancements in AI could lead to a much better world and should be pursued. However, they also stress the importance of getting regulation right from the beginning, as over-regulation could put a halt to progress and fail to prevent disasters.
OpenAI was founded in 2015 by tech entrepreneur and investor Sam Altman and tech investor and roboticist, Greg Brockman, as well as the Institute for Community and Biotechnology’s president and computational biologist, Ilya Sutskever. It is a research laboratory focusing on artificial intelligence, with an aim to promote and develop friendly AI. Over the years OpenAI has created numerous breakthroughs in AI development, such as the GPT-2 model, the AI Dota 2 agent, and the chatbot “ChatGPT”.
Sam Altman is the current CEO of OpenAI. He is a well-known American entrepreneur and investor, having co-founded Reddit, as well as membership platform Y Combinator. He has been vocal on the potential of AI for creating a positive impact in the world. He warned against over-regulation of new technologies, such as AI, as he believes it could stifle progress. Altman believes in the goal of democratic control and safety in the development of AI, and he fully supports the cause of OpenAI, his former co-founder, Elon Musk.
