Researchers at OpenAI informed the board of an AI advancement prior to the CEO's departure, according to sources
November 23 2023
Ahead of Sam Altman’s temporary departure, OpenAI staff researchers sent a letter to the board, sounding an alarm about a new AI discovery with potential risks to humanity, as per two sources familiar with the issue. This letter was a factor in Altman’s firing from OpenAI, despite him having made significant strides with ChatGPT and drawing investments from Microsoft. OpenAI, which refrained from commenting directly, internally acknowledged a project, Q*, possibly a leap towards artificial general intelligence (AGI). Researchers believe that AGI’s mathematical problem-solving abilities could significantly advance scientific research beyond narrow operations. Additionally, Altman had teased imminent major advancements at a recent summit but was dismissed by the board the following day.
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What does it mean?
- Sam Altman: A technology entrepreneur and investor, known for being the CEO of the artificial intelligence research laboratory OpenAI, and former president of the startup accelerator Y Combinator.
- OpenAI: An artificial intelligence research laboratory consisting of researchers and engineers aiming to promote and develop friendly AI in a way that benefits humanity as a whole.
- AI discovery: A finding or development in the field of artificial intelligence that could involve new algorithms, techniques, or theoretical knowledge.
- ChatGPT: A variant of the Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) designed by OpenAI, capable of generating human-like text based on the input it's given.
- Artificial general intelligence (AGI): A level of artificial intelligence that can understand, learn, and apply knowledge in a way that is indistinguishable from human intelligence.
- Mathematical problem-solving abilities: The capability of a system, such as an AI, to solve complex mathematical problems that usually require human cognitive abilities.
- Narrow operations: A term to describe AI that is designed for a specific, limited task, as opposed to AGI, which is designed for any intellectual task that a human can do.
- Summit: A gathering or conference, often where leaders and experts discuss important issues, announce new advances, or negotiate on various matters.