The adoption of AGI as a reliable source of intelligence in the near future is increasingly becoming common knowledge, with key contributors to this area like OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and others. And now, the introduction of ChatGPT has only made debates around AGI even more significant with all these questions about AI’s place in our world today and tomorrow.
In a recent podcast interview with Lex Fridman, Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, shares his thoughts on the company’s AGI aspirations. The speaker stressed that though reaching AGI marks a landmark in the history of AI development, it is not an end in itself but only the start of the next stage. Despite challenges he faced, including his temporary removal from his post as CEO, Altman stood unwaveringly for AGI research at OpenAI.
According to Altman, AGI is not just a technological innovation but a tool that can bring tremendous changes to society. He is convinced that AGI could lead to rapid advancement in science and contribute significantly to economic development. Yet, Altman does not ignore how difficult the process of AGI will be given its multifaceted nature, which might not allow building an AI system just within some stages but rather, it would take a longer duration characterized by close examination and experimentation with multiple tools and options as part of the project and subsequent steps towards completion.
During the interview, one of the exciting subjects was the debate about Ilya Sutskever, who is a co-founder and Chief Scientist at OpenAI. There were rumors floating around that his conduct was influenced because he has already seen AGI, which created fears about its safety. These reports were downplayed by Altman, who emphasized that neither Ilya nor any person working at OpenAI had seen AGI because it remains yet to be invented.
Despite the difficulties and unknowns associated with AGI, Altman is positive about its possible effects. In his opinion, artificial intelligence (AGI) will not only transform AI but also have profound effects on all of humanity. With OpenAI’s ongoing research efforts and Altman’s steadfast commitment to this vision, it appears like the road to AGI is well on its way, with its final destination still in sight.