It has been a long month. While nothing changed, the AI field is indeed kind of tiresome. At least that is what was felt by Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI.
After he was ousted by his own company, but later regained the helm following way too many controversies and criticisms, Altman is back in business.
And just like what he used to do, Altman is also back by touting AI's benefits to humanity.
Just days after regaining the lead at the world’s best-known artificial intelligence startup, the co-founder defended his exploratory approach to developing AI.
Read: No 'Malfeasance': The Firing Of Sam Altman, And How OpenAI Desperately Wants Him Back
He stressed the potential advances in various fields, from health, all the way to education, thanks to the advancements of AI.
Altman described how he’s always been fascinated by fictional rogue AIs like what have been portrayed in the popular science-fiction franchise the Terminator. And as the leader of one of the most overhyped tech companies in the world, Altman knows the huge responsibility that lies on his shoulders.
Altman said he understood the anxieties around AI being used to build bioweapons or hacking into computer systems, but "you gotta deploy."
This is why on one side, regulations are needed.
Safety is also needed.
But to create AIs that become increasingly smarter requires companies like OpenAI to push the boundaries to realize the technology’s potential, speaking onstage at a forum hosted by rights organization Operation HOPE in Atlanta, U.S., Altman said that:
"That’s why we work so hard on safety. But we also believe you cannot build this safely in a vacuum."
He added:
This is why Altman wants OpenAI to be transparent, and not some company working on something within some secret lab.
People should know what OpenAI is working at, and benefit from whatever it is creating.
Read: AI Weaponization Is Real Threat. 'I Warned You Guys In 1984 And You Didn't Listen'
And speaking about how fast this AI technology is advancing, Altman said that "this time it’s different," referring to the pace AI technology is evolving if compared to previous technology, like mobile phones and the internet.
"And it’s a little scary, to be sure."
Altman also admitted that he never expected OpenAI to be like what it is.
"We thought [ChatGPT] was not going to be a big deal," he said. "We thought it’d be a medium deal, we thought it’d be like ‘Oh people are going to like this, they’ll think it’s cool’ but we then jumped into this tornado that has not stopped."
But since ChatGPT picked up its pace, there is going back.
Altman said OpenAI literally "jumped into this tornado that has not stopped."
Further reading: Generative AI Is Turning 'Will Never Happen' Into 'Will Happen Faster Than You Think'