Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, confirmed that the company would not be developing GPT-5, a presumed successor to GPT-4’s artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, “for some time,” after a Technologist group, including Elon Musk, requested in apocalyptic letters that AI systems, “more powerful than GPT-4” be suspended for 6 months.
Altman stated that the letter “missed most of the technical nuances of where we should pause” during a conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which he could attend via video link.
The letter was also deemed “ridiculous” by him, as he assured that his company does not work on developing a GPT-5.
He agreed that OpenAI should “move cautiously” because “security issues are becoming more rigorous”. This is “really crucial”.
Speaking at an institution event, Altman said: “I agree with you that the bar of security needs to be raised as capabilities increase.”
OpeanAI, GPT-4, and ChatGPT
OpenAI developed ChatGPT, then GPT-4, a chatbot with AI that can produce human-like replies in seconds. Microsoft also uses this technology for its Bing Chatbot.
OpenAI’s work on GPT-4 is still being expanded, even though it does not currently work on GPT-5.
Altman’s announcement that OpenAI will not be developing GPT-5 is of no comfort to those most worried about AI technologies’ rapid development. The company, however, is expanding GPT-4’s potential by connecting it to the internet. Moreover, the company could launch a GPT 4.5 as it did for GPT 3.5.
OpenAI isn’t the only company working on this kind of tool.
“Society has taken a step back from other technologies that could have catastrophic effects on society. We can do it right here. Enjoy a long break from AI this summer, and don’t be hurried to fall unprepared,” was the open letter question at the end of March. Published by Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit organization.
Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak of Apple and American researchers Yoshua Benjamin and Stuart Russel signed the letter.
