OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, may have made a significant breakthrough in Generative AI, according to a new report from The Information. This breakthrough, spearheaded by OpenAI Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, could potentially lead to the development of ‘superintelligence’ in the near future.
Superintelligence refers to intelligence that surpasses that of humanity, and the development of AI with such capabilities raises concerns about the lack of proper safeguards. The breakthrough allows AI to solve problems using cleaner and computer-generated data, training on information not directly related to the problem at hand. The implications of this advancement are substantial, as it allows AI to reason and solve problems, traits previously thought to be exclusive to humans.
OpenAI’s primary consumer product, ChatGPT, powered by the GPT large language model (LLM), may seem extremely smart, but it relies on regurgitating learned data and making educated guesses rather than reasoning. However, The Information’s report suggests that this breakthrough had a significant impact within OpenAI, potentially contributing to the recent firing and rehiring of CEO Sam Altman, who hinted at this breakthrough in a recent conference appearance.
While there’s no evidence of superintelligence in ChatGPT currently, OpenAI is likely integrating these advancements into its premium products, such as GPT-4 Turbo and its chatbot agents. Interestingly, the scientists responsible for the breakthrough have formed a new OpenAI research group with the goal of developing safeguards against superintelligence, despite being instrumental in its development.
It remains unclear how concerns about the rapid development of superintelligence may have triggered the recent changes at OpenAI. Nevertheless, Altman is returning, the board has been restructured, and the work on developing and safeguarding against superintelligence will continue. This significant advancement challenges the boundaries between AI and human capabilities, prompting important discussions about the ethical and practical implications of such technology.
I have over 10 years of experience in the cryptocurrency industry and I have been on the list of the top authors on LinkedIn for the past 5 years.