OpenAI Researchers Warned Board of AI Breakthrough Ahead of CEO Ouster
Several staff researchers at OpenAI wrote a letter to the board of directors warning of a powerful AI discovery that could threaten humanity, leading to the ouster of CEO Sam Altman. The letter and AI algorithm were key factors in Altman's firing, as the board had concerns about commercializing advances without understanding the consequences. The researchers believe the breakthrough, called Q*, could be a major step towards artificial general intelligence (AGI), surpassing humans in most valuable tasks.
OpenAI Researchers Warned Board of AI Breakthrough
Prior to the ouster of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, several staff researchers wrote a letter to the board of directors, warning of a powerful artificial intelligence (AI) discovery that could pose a threat to humanity.
Altman's firing came after the letter and the AI algorithm, known as Q*, were brought to the attention of the board.
One source revealed that the letter was one of many grievances that contributed to Altman's firing, with concerns raised about the commercialization of advances without fully understanding the potential consequences.
Q* Breakthrough in Search for AGI
Some researchers at OpenAI believe that the Q* breakthrough could be a significant step towards achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), which refers to autonomous systems that surpass human performance in economically valuable tasks.
The Q* model has shown promise in solving certain mathematical problems, despite currently only performing at the level of grade-school students.
While the capabilities of Q* claimed by the researchers have not been independently verified, its potential for advancing AI research and its safety implications were highlighted in the letter to the board.
Implications for AI Development and Safety
Researchers consider math to be a frontier of generative AI development, and the ability of AI to solve mathematical problems accurately would imply greater reasoning capabilities resembling human intelligence.
The letter to the board raised concerns about the potential dangers of highly intelligent machines and the need to ensure safety measures are in place.
Additionally, the existence of an "AI scientist" team was confirmed, which is exploring ways to optimize existing AI models for improved reasoning and potential scientific work.
