Sam Altman went before the US Congress last week and gave American lawmakers a clear message - regulate artificial intelligence.
"I think if this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong," said the co-founder of OpenAI, which created the ChatGPT intelligence chatbot that has taken the world by storm.
Altman may have a hit product on his hands, but he is a contradictory figure in tech. He has turned OpenAI from an open source, non-profit organisation created with the aim of countering the power of Google and other Big Tech players into a for-profit enterprise propped up by a US$10 billion investment from Microsoft.
ChatGPT stands to become one of the biggest cash cows since Google invented its ubiquitous search engine. Even Elon Musk, the billionaire who had a hand in OpenAI's creation before parting ways with Altman, sees a problem with that.
"Let's say you funded an organisation to save the Amazon Rainforest and instead they became a lumber company and chopped down the forest and sold it for money," was how he put it last week.
Esta historia es de la edición June 3-9 2023 de New Zealand Listener.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 3-9 2023 de New Zealand Listener.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
