You are probably familiar with the issues that have taken place regarding thre fight for AI supremacy during the past years, but especially during 2023. The saga involving OpenAI shows the world that the fight for supremacy in this regard does well beyond nations.
OpenAI saga reveals many things about the fight for AI supremacy
The ZDNet author planned to discuss the competition between US and China in AI, but recent events shifted the focus. The core message remains important for governments still determining their role in a time impacted by emerging technologies.
OpenAI had a busy week, with its ousted co-founder and CEO, Sam Altman, returning to his former position. The generative AI powerhouse lost its CEO who joined Microsoft, replaced its first interim CEO with a second, and faced a staff revolt.
OpenAI said in a statement announcing Altman’s reinstatement:
“We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO, with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo. We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this.”
According to the same article, reports are still unclear whether Altman will now gain a seat on the board, one he didn’t have before. He previously noted in a June 2023 Bloomberg interview on AI trust:
“No one person should be trusted here… The board can fire me. I think that’s important.”
No information has been released yet regarding the possible return of Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s co-founder and chief scientist.
Sutskever was a member of the previous board, alongside fellow board member Helen Toner, who were both rumored to have been involved in the decision to remove Altman. Later, Sutskever expressed his regret about this decision.
Toner, who had remained silent throughout the turmoil, finally said on X after it was announced that Altman would be returning: “Now, we can all finally get some sleep.”
Toner, who works as the director of strategy and foundational research grants at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, co-authored a research paper that was critical of OpenAI.
The paper highlighted that the company’s efforts in ensuring the safety of its AI developments were significantly less robust than that of Anthropic’s.
Altman, who was upset by the report, campaigned for Toner’s removal from the board, as reported by The New York Times.
In its original statement announcing Altman’s dismissal, OpenAI’s board had expressed lack of confidence in his ability to lead the company.
“Altman’s departure follows a deliberative review process by the board, which concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities.”
The past week has made it even more apparent that the future of the world with AI rests in the hands of a small group of market players.
The Big Tech industry has the resources and financial capability to dictate how they believe AI should impact society as a whole. However, this select group of tech companies represents only a small fraction of the world’s population and demographics.
