During a global tour aimed at engaging with national leaders and influential figures, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, addressed concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the job market. Altman, in Paris, emphasized that OpenAI’s technology would not result in the wholesale elimination of entire workforce sectors through automation, contrary to some warnings.
Altman dismissed the notion that AI would progress to the extent that humans would have no work or purpose. He provided an example related to the media industry, stating that OpenAI’s ChatGPT should be seen as assisting journalists with research and idea generation, equivalent to providing them with 100 assistants.
ChatGPT gained significant attention last year due to its ability to generate essays, poems, and conversations based on minimal prompts. Microsoft subsequently invested billions of dollars in OpenAI and integrated its technology into various products, sparking competition with Google, which made similar announcements.
Altman, a rising star in Silicon Valley at the age of 38, has received enthusiastic receptions from leaders around the world, from Lagos to London. However, earlier in the week, he drew criticism from the European Union by suggesting that OpenAI might consider leaving if faced with excessive regulation. Altman clarified that these headlines were unfair, expressing the intention to open an office in Europe in the future.
The success of ChatGPT, utilized by politicians to draft speeches and capable of passing challenging exams, has thrust Altman into the global spotlight. Reflecting on this, Altman stated that it feels special but also exhausting, expressing a desire for a calmer life.
OpenAI was founded in 2015 with investments from Altman and billionaire Elon Musk, who left the company in 2018 and has recently criticized it. Altman acknowledged the disagreements with Musk but opted not to engage in a public dispute, emphasizing the importance of OpenAI’s mission to maximize the societal benefits of AI and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), where machines can perform various tasks.
Addressing criticisms about the lack of source publication for OpenAI’s models, Altman focused on the issue of racial bias, stating that performance on racial bias tests is what truly matters. He noted that the latest model, GPT-4, exhibited surprising non-bias.
Altman concluded by highlighting the need for a broad understanding of AGI, acknowledging that definitions are vague and varied. He personally defined AGI as the capability of machines to make significant scientific breakthroughs, such as solving fundamental theories of physics.
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