During an MIT event focused on business and AI, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed partial agreement with an open letter from the Future of Life Institute, which called for a six-month halt to AI research and was signed by tech leaders such as Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak.
However, Altman noted that the letter lacked technical nuance and did not fully address the need for caution and rigor in AI safety. Altman stated that he believed moving with caution and increasing safety measures was important, but felt the letter was not the optimal way to address the issue.
The letter had called for an immediate pause to training “experiments” associated with large language models more powerful than OpenAI’s flagship model, GPT-4. Altman acknowledged the need for increased safety measures as AI capabilities become more serious.
OpenAI’s GPT technology, which underpins Microsoft’s Bing AI chatbot, has received international attention and investment. Altman also noted that OpenAI was addressing other safety issues not mentioned in the letter.
