Sam Altman defends OpenAI’s AI strategy shortly after returning as CEO

After reclaiming the top position at the renowned artificial intelligence startup, Sam Altman has returned to the conference circuit, promoting the advantages of AI for humanity.

In his first public appearance since Altman regained control of OpenAI following a surprise ouster attempt, the co-founder and CEO defended his exploratory approach to AI development. “It will lift the world,” he said, highlighting potential advances in health and education. And he described how he’s always been fascinated by fictional rogue AI like the Terminator – but companies like OpenAI had to push the boundaries to realize the technology’s potential.

“All those ideas about how this could go wrong, you don’t need a lot of imagination because we’ve grown up with it in the media,” Altman said in an on-stage interview at a forum hosted by the human rights group Operation Hope in Atlanta on Monday. . “That’s why we work so hard for safety. But we also believe that this cannot be built safely in a vacuum.”

That’s why OpenAI is trying to build the technology openly and deploy it widely in a secret lab instead, he added. Altman said he understands the anxiety about using AI to build bioweapons or hack into computer systems, but “you have to deploy.”

During the 35-minute conversation, Altman did not directly address his surprise dismissal and reinstatement or plans for OpenAI’s new board and governance system.

Concerns about the speed of development of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other products were a key issue during Silicon Valley’s surprise takeover attempt last month. Altman’s co-founder and board fired the entrepreneur, only to reinstate him days later after an investor and employee revolt. Despite the departure of most of the previous board members, there are signs that the differences with founding member Ilja Sutskever have not settled.

The episode shone a spotlight on the potential dangers of technology that could reshape vast industries while improving military capabilities.

“This time it’s different,” Altman said, talking about the rapid development of artificial intelligence compared to previous technological revolutions from the cell phone to the Internet. “And it’s definitely a little scary.”

Altman said OpenAI had jumped into this tornado and it hasn’t stopped. He announced that he and John Hope Bryant, founder of the Hope Organization, will co-chair the Atlanta-based New AI Ethics Council.

“People have a lot of anxiety, and I understand that,” Altman told Bryant on stage. “They need a person to project that, and unfortunately I’m going to be that person for a while. And that’s okay.”