OpenAI is considering slowing down the development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence, and the ChatGPT maker’s Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman is hoping other AI companies will do the same.
On Thursday, two researchers who recently departed roles at Anthropic and Google’s DeepMind also publicized concerns about the rapid pace of AI development, saying AI makers need to be more transparent about the technology’s risks. In recent weeks, employees of leading AI firms have raised public concerns about the increased risks of advanced AI systems, fueling anxiety inside these companies. OpenAI declined to comment.
Because the details are private, in a company-wide meeting this week, Altman told employees that OpenAI could potentially pace its AI development – perhaps in conjunction with several other AI labs, but that some may not agree to do so, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named. OpenAI said it has slowed parts of model development and paused certain internal AI training recently due to safety concerns. The comments went viral, attracting more than 150 million views and attention from prominent lawmakers and public figures.
In July, Altman also said that he’d spoken with White House officials about the “need” to pace AI development. On Tuesday, Jacob Coxon, an AI researcher, quit his job and accused both of his former employers – Anthropic and OpenAI – of “gambling with our lives” by racing toward superintelligent AI. Coxon said in a social media post that the people building AI believe it could “kill us all by the end of the decade.
Both OpenAI and its rival Anthropic PBC have filed confidential paperwork to go public earlier this year.
