OpenAI has shut down its team focused on the long-term risks of artificial intelligence less than a year after setting it up, a source confirmed to CNBC.
According to the anonymous source, team members face reassignment to other company teams.
The AI safety group called the 'Superalignment team,' formed last year, was dedicated to achieving breakthroughs in controlling AI systems more advanced than humans. OpenAI initially committed 20% of its computing power to this initiative over four years.
Interestingly, this decision follows the recent departures of team leaders, OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike, from the Microsoft-backed startup, as reported by VCPost, and new AI models and updates, including an enhanced version of ChatGPT.
The latest model, GPT-4o, offers improved performance and capabilities in text, video, and audio. Video chat features will be introduced in the future.
Concerns on OpenAI
Leike, in a recent statement also reported by CNBC, expressed concerns about OpenAI's shifting priorities, noting that the push for new products had overshadowed the company's focus on safety.
He emphasized the need for a stronger emphasis on security, monitoring, preparedness, and societal impact within OpenAI's operations.
Leike described recent months as challenging, with his team facing challenges securing the necessary research resources. He also believes that OpenAI should become a "safety-first AGI company" due to the inherent risks of developing advanced AI.
Altman recently expressed sadness over Sutskever's departure, calling him "one of the greatest minds of our generation" and a "dear friend." Jakub Pachocki, a research director at OpenAI since 2017, will succeed Sutskever as chief scientist.
Why the AI Safety Team Was Shut Down
No clear details have been shared yet on why OpenAI has made this decision. But prior to this, the company had numerous internal conflicts in November when its board of directors decided to remove CEO Sam Altman from his position. This led to employees either resigning or threatening to resign and investors, notably Microsoft, expressing their dissatisfaction.
Due to the intense reaction and pressure, Altman was quickly reinstated as CEO within a week, and several board members who supported his removal resigned.
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