OpenAI may have had a breakthrough in the company’s research of powerful AI. Last week, the board of directors discovered this breakthrough through a letter from some employees. The letter would have played a part in the reason for Sam Altman’s resignation last weekend.
With the return of Sam Altman as the company’s CEO and changes to the board of directors, the crisis at OpenAI appears to be behind us. The uncertainties surrounding the reason for Altman’s resignation, however, do not put the crisis to rest.
‘AI at risk to humanity’
Part of the story two individuals involved in OpenAI’s daily businesses tell Reuters. They testify about an important breakthrough in powerful AI that would have been concealed from the board of directors. According to the sources, the technology is so powerful that it could pose a threat to humanity. It is notable that among AI experts there is no consensus that AGI will actually pose a major danger.
Although not defining the type of AI, Altman spoke in a recent interview about his ambition to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI). This technology should have the same level of intelligence as humans. Altman said in the interview that the development was not possible without additional capital, but testimony could indicate that OpenAI was already further along than was admitted.
OpenAI reportedly briefly confirmed the existence of the project in internal email traffic and named it Q*. Some staff members of the AI developer are also convinced that Q* is related to AGI.
Also read: OpenAI aspires creation of software as smart as humans: what is AGI?