To ensure the safety of artificial intelligence for humans, OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT, has announced plans to invest substantial resources and establish a new research team. In a blog post, OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and head of alignment Jan Leike expressed concerns about the potential dangers associated with superintelligent AI systems that surpass human intelligence.
According to the blog post, OpenAI predicts the arrival of superintelligent AI within this decade. To address the challenge of controlling and steering such advanced AI systems, the authors emphasize the need for breakthroughs in “alignment research.” This research focuses on ensuring that AI remains beneficial to humanity and doesn’t pose risks or go rogue.
OpenAI, with the support of Microsoft, has committed to dedicating 20% of its computing power over the next four years to tackle this issue. Additionally, the organization is forming a specialized team called the Superalignment team to lead the effort. The team’s objective is to develop a human-level AI alignment researcher and leverage extensive computing power for training AI systems. This involves training AI systems using human feedback, training them to assist in human evaluation, and eventually training them to actively conduct alignment research.
However, AI safety advocate Connor Leahy raised concerns about OpenAI’s approach, arguing that focusing on achieving human-level AI before solving alignment issues could lead to unintended consequences. He emphasized the importance of solving alignment challenges first to ensure control over AI systems.
The potential risks associated with AI have garnered significant attention from AI researchers and the general public. In April, a group of industry leaders and experts called for a pause in developing more powerful AI systems, citing potential societal risks. A Reuters/Ipsos poll in May revealed that over two-thirds of Americans expressed concern about the potential negative effects of AI, with 61% believing it could pose a threat to civilization.
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