Some scientists believed that the advancement of AI may give the technology the ability to redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate that it will become unstoppable.
Eventually, "intelligence explosion" will make AI-powered technology to conquer Earth and would lead to human extinction.
OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk characterizes AI as humanity's "biggest existential threat". And this is why OpenAI was structured to focus on creating a positive long-term human impact.
As an AI research lab, OpenAI has developed numerous AI products.
For example, it created an AI capable of defeating the world's best Dota 2 players, as well as the most famous GPT-2, which is capable of producing text rich with context, nuance and even humor.
Even the researchers were afraid of it.
After that, OpenAI introduced GPT-3, which is even better than GPT-2.
But for that long, the company withheld its technology for of misuse. But things are changing.
We're releasing an API for accessing new AI models developed by OpenAI. You can "program" the API in natural language with just a few examples of your task. See how companies are using the API today, or join our waitlist: https://t.co/SvTgaFuTzN pic.twitter.com/uoeeuqpDWR
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) June 11, 2020
Here, the company is releasing an application programming interface (API) so researchers and developers can access its AI models.
Initially, OpenAI offers the API for free, in a two-month private beta.
According to the company, the product provides a general-purpose “text in, text out” interface for “almost any English language task,” including content generation, translation, and sentiment analysis.
Using the API, others should be able to integrate OpenAI's text-generating AI to their products, that can include chatbots and automated news reporting.
Early customers include Reddit, which is exploring how to use the system to help it moderate content.
"OpenAI technology, just an HTTPS call away," said the company on its web page.
Founded in 2015 after Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and others pledged $1 billion, OpenAI's mission is to “advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return.”
Once a non-profit, the DeepMind competitor added a for-profit arm that it said was essential to cover the costs of its research.
The for-profit OpenAI is called OpenAI LP, and it is meant to help the organization secure additional funding while staying controlled by a non-profit called OpenAI Inc in a structure that OpenAI calls "capped-profit".
And with the introduction of the API, OpenAI hopes that it can receive revenue to finance more of its AI research, safety, and policy efforts.
The move is seen as another step for OpenAI to become a commercial business.