OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said his company knows «how to build AI, in its traditional sense,» meaning the long-awaited artificial general intelligence (AGI) that matches or even surpasses human intelligence. Altman added that AI agents capable of autonomously performing certain tasks could start to help companies significantly this year.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said his company knows «how to build AI, in its traditional sense,» meaning the long-awaited artificial general intelligence (AGI) that matches or even surpasses human intelligence. Altman added that AI agents capable of autonomously performing certain tasks could start to help companies significantly this year.
This is reported by The Verge with reference to Sam Altman’s blog. According to him, the company’s next goal is «superintelligence in the true sense of the word».
«We love our current products, but we are here for a great future. Superintelligent tools can greatly accelerate scientific discovery and innovation, far more than we are capable of doing on our own, and, in turn, greatly increase wealth and prosperity,» Altman wrote.
He describes superintelligence (defined as an AI agent that surpasses human intelligence) much as OpenAI once described AGI: «AI systems that are generally smarter than humans.» OpenAI has repeatedly said its ultimate goal is to develop an artificial general intelligence system that «benefits all of humanity.» But last month, Altman attempted to lower expectations for AI, saying it will «matter far less» than people thought.
This could work in OpenAI’s favor, as the company is tied to Microsoft by exclusive agreements it signed in 2023 until OpenAI officially declares AGI achieved. But reports that Microsoft itself is classifying AGI as a system capable of generating $100 billion in revenue could render this loophole ineffective. Rumor has it that OpenAI is planning to bundle its large language models together as an «AGI» offering, potentially to reach that goal more quickly.
In his blog, Altman doesn’t directly address OpenAI’s rigid profit-sharing agreement with Microsoft, but he does lament the convoluted events that led to him being fired as CEO of OpenAI, hired at Microsoft, and then returned to OpenAI in November 2023. Since then, Altman has consolidated power at OpenAI, which aims to transition from a nonprofit to a for-profit organization this year.
«This whole event, in my opinion, was a major failure of governance by well-intentioned people, including myself. Looking back, I certainly wish I had done things differently, and I would like to believe that I am a better, more thoughtful leader today than I was a year ago. Effective governance requires a great deal of trust and authority. I appreciate how many people worked together to build a stronger OpenAI governance system that allows us to fulfill our mission to make AGI benefit all of humanity,» Altman commented.
OpenAI’s CEO previously said the company is currently losing money on its $200 ChatGPT Pro plan. He claims people are using it more than the company expected.
