OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admits that AI’s benefits may not be widely distributed

Sam Altman discusses AI's uneven benefits, compute budget, and AGI challenges.

: Sam Altman of OpenAI discusses challenges in distributing AI benefits and proposes a 'compute budget' to address potential imbalance. He warns of possible job market disruptions due to AI and outlines plans for AGI-level systems, emphasizing human oversight. OpenAI shifts towards a profit-driven model aiming for $100 billion revenue by 2029, while maintaining a partnership with Microsoft.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, highlights concerns regarding AI's uneven distribution of benefits and proposes a 'compute budget' to ensure broader access. He acknowledges the potential job market disruptions due to AI and stresses the importance of government reskilling initiatives to mitigate unemployment risks. Altman also shares insights on artificial general intelligence (AGI), describing it as systems capable of handling complex problems with human oversight, and hints at a shift in OpenAI's approach towards more profit-driven objectives.

Altman mentions OpenAI's plans to raise up to $40 billion for AI development, noting the decreasing cost of using advanced AI systems despite the expensive process of pushing technological boundaries. As AGI approaches, Altman asserts that massive investments similar to those by Anthropic's CEO, Dario Amodei, will be necessary. He admits that OpenAI's shift to a traditional corporate structure involves potentially unpopular safety decisions but maintains the emphasis on individual empowerment and avoiding misuse by authoritarian regimes.

OpenAI's evolving stance includes maintaining a long-term partnership with Microsoft, contrary to previous speculations. Altman's remarks coincide with the upcoming AI Action Summit in Paris, where tech leaders are expected to share their AI visions. He acknowledges OpenAI's historical approach of favoring closed-source development but recognizes the emerging need for balance between safety and user empowerment, which may involve more open-sourcing.

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