New AI Safety Controversy Sweeps OpenAI
New AI Safety Controversy Sweeps OpenAI
Recently a group of employees and ex-employees from OpenAI signed a letter suggesting that the organization’s technology could pose dangerous risks to humanity. This blog discusses the news and reflects on the current debate about AI risk.
Controversy at OpenAI
A group of employees and former employees from OpenAI has come together to blow the whistle on what they view as unsafe AI development practices. The letter cites a litany of concerns ranging from misinformation, discrimination, and even serious risk to human life. It calls for more protections for whistleblowers and more serious oversight of AI development from major providers.
This news comes on the heels of several negative PR incidents for OpenAI. Recently, several high-profile employees, including a founding engineer, exited the company. Before then the company drew eyes when it shuttered its AI safety department, and previous shakeups within the OpenAI C-Suite had already created an environment of uncertainty.
The Landscape of the AI Risk Debate
The AI risk debate continues to evolve as more powerful computing comes online and new capabilities begin to emerge. While the immediate risks from generative AI appear to fall within the neighborhood of issues like misinformation, there is potential for more serious risks, especially if AI models are given a large role in maintaining important infrastructure, or other core social functions.
Many argue that the lack of a clear and present danger is a reason to accelerate AI investment while others argue that acceleration risks an unexpected catastrophe. Recent events at OpenAI cast the two positions starkly, suggesting that it may be difficult for the safety advocates to move the needle when it comes to the larger providers.
Bottom Line
The events at OpenAI suggest that AI safety remains an unresolved and controversial site of concern. Ultimately, it will be regulatory policy that establishes the limits of this emerging debate.
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