Report on OpenAI: AI researchers are said to have warned of a “threat to humanity”.

According to insiders, shortly before Sam Altman was fired as head of ChatGPT developer OpenAI, the board was alerted to a momentous discovery in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The employee letter said the development could pose a threat to humanity, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency on Wednesday.

The previously unpublished letter was a major development that preceded the board’s dismissal of Altman, the figurehead of generative AI. Reuters could not immediately view a copy of the letter. The OpenAI researchers who wrote the letter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Elon Musk, one of the co-founders of OpenAI, expressed his concerns on his Platform X. “Very worrying,” he responded to the Reuters report. In the past, Musk has repeatedly warned about the uncontrolled development of artificial intelligence.

Altman: “Professional honor of my life”

The letter was one factor in a long list of board misconduct that led to Altman’s resignation, insiders said. Managing director Mira Murati mentioned the project called “Q*” (pronounced Q-Star) to staff on Wednesday and said a letter had been sent to the board before the weekend’s events. The creator of ChatGPT had made progress on Q*, which some employees said marked a breakthrough in the startup’s quest for super intelligence (AGI). OpenAI defines AGI as AI systems that are smarter than humans. Reuters could not independently verify Q*’s claimed capabilities.

Altman suggested last week that he sees AGI within reach. “Four times in OpenAI’s history, most recently in the past few weeks, I have had the privilege of being present as we lift the veil of ignorance and push the boundaries of discovery, and that has been the professional honor of a lifetime,” said he. the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit. A day later, the board fired Altman. (Reuters/t-online)

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