OpenAI Seeks Microsoft’s Support in AGI Development

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, discussed the ongoing partnership with Microsoft, emphasising its success and the likelihood of further financial support. OpenAI, valued at $29bn (about £24bn), received a significant investment of $10bn (£8bn) from Microsoft earlier in 2023.

Altman highlighted the importance of this partnership in addressing the high costs associated with developing advanced AI models. He stated, “There’s a long way to go, and a lot of compute to build out between here and AGI … training expenses are just huge.”

 

Advancements in AI Technology

 

Altman touched upon the progression of AI technology at OpenAI, mentioning the development of GPT-5 and its expected sophistication over GPT-4.

The CEO spoke on the challenges in predicting the capabilities of these evolving models. He remarked, “Until we go train that model, it’s like a fun guessing game for us.”

 

AI Safety and Alignment

 

In a comprehensive article, Altman outlined OpenAI’s mission to create AGI that benefits all of humanity.

He stressed the importance of ensuring AGI’s safety, sharing its benefits widely, and successfully navigating associated risks. Altman explained, “We want AGI to empower humanity to maximally flourish in the universe.”

 

 

The Path to AGI

 

Altman elaborated on the short-term and long-term strategies for AGI development. He emphasized gradual transitions, learning through deployment, and the necessity of developing new alignment techniques.

He also highlighted the importance of a global conversation on governing these systems, their fair distribution, and access.

 

OpenAI’s Structural Approach

 

The article detailed OpenAI’s structural setup, designed to align incentives with positive outcomes. This includes clauses for assisting in safety advancements, a cap on shareholder returns, and a governing nonprofit body.

 

Public Scrutiny and Standards

 
Altman advocated for independent audits and public standards for AGI development. He emphasised the need for transparency and public consultation in this significant undertaking.

 

OpenAI’s Business Model

 

Discussing OpenAI’s business model, Altman introduced new tools and a GPT Store for developers, aiming to build a revenue-sharing model akin to Apple’s App Store.

He explained, “Right now, people [say] ‘you have this research lab, you have this API [software], you have the partnership with Microsoft, you have this ChatGPT thing, now there is a GPT store’. But those aren’t really our products.”

 

The Race for AI Superiority

 
Altman acknowledged the competitive landscape in AI technology, mentioning the reliance on Nvidia’s H100 chips and the imminent arrival of rival chips from Google, Microsoft, AMD, and Intel. He stated, “I think the magic of capitalism is doing its thing here. And a lot of people would like to be Nvidia now.”

 

OpenAI’s Focus on Language Models

 

Finally, Altman highlighted OpenAI’s focus on large language models as a key to developing AGI, differentiating their approach from other AI competitors.

This synthesis provides a comprehensive overview of OpenAI’s current position, strategies, and challenges in the development of AGI, as described by Sam Altman and other sources.