OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to a letter signed by tech leaders such as Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak, which called for a six-month halt on AI research. Altman stated that the letter was not the best way to address the issue and missed technical nuances about where the technology needed to be paused. While Altman agreed that moving with caution and increasing rigor for safety issues was important, he said that the letter did not provide the optimal way to address the issue. He also pointed out that the letter left out important safety issues related to technology being developed on top of GPT-4.
In March, the Future of Life Institute, a thinktank, published an open letter signed by Musk, Wozniak, and others that called for a cautious approach to the next generation of AI. The letter cited 12 pieces of research from experts, including former employees of OpenAI, Google, and DeepMind. It stated that powerful AI systems should only be developed once their effects are positive and their risks are manageable. The letter also called for a pause in AI development so that AI labs and independent experts could jointly develop and implement shared safety protocols that were audited and overseen by independent outside experts.
Musk, who co-founded OpenAI and is now run by Microsoft, has been one of the most vocal voices calling for the regulation of AI research. In an interview, Musk stated that AI had the potential to destroy an entire civilization and was more dangerous than mismanaged aircraft design or bad car production. He added that AI has the potential for civilization destruction, which is non-trivial.
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