Open AI CEO Sam Altman says India can play ‘huge role’ in defining international AI regulation framework
“I think it is certainly good to have some sort of (sovereign) AI research effort… Should that be training ground up LLMs? Should that be pursuing new research directions? Should that be focusing on fine-tuning open source projects? I think there’s a lot of options there. I don’t yet have conviction on the right answer. But some nationally funded AI effort feels like a good idea,” Altman said at the recent ET Conversations event.
At the exclusive ET Conversations session, Altman delved into all things AI, answering a slew of questions related to the likely impact of AI on jobs, the need for regulation and risk mitigation, AI investments and the short-term hype, the technology’s ability to transform different sectors and the economy, its various use cases, and the way forward as OpenAI seeks to make AI cheaper, more smarter, and more accessible.
Beyond AI, Altman – who is also an investor in and champion of nuclear fusion – expressed optimism at getting fusion to ‘work in the next few years,’ not just as a scientific demonstration but as a source for ‘incredibly cheap energy at global scale.’
“Other than AI, if you could do one thing that would really help the world get richer and increase the quality of life, it’s very cheap energy. I think the two basic models of the world – the cost of intelligence and the cost of energy – are kind of what compounded everything else. And if we want a radically better future, those are the two things we should focus on trying to make abundant,” said Altman.
Altman has invested $375 million in nuclear fusion startup Helion Energy, which recently announced it’s on track to build what will be the world’s first fusion power plant that’s capable of producing electricity from fusion.
Discover the stories of your interest
AI impact on jobs
Diving into the larger worries around AI’s likely impact on jobs, Altman acknowledged this concern, noting that this change would be inevitable, particularly in labour-intensive markets and in roles that require repetitive tasks.
And yet, history has shown that job changes brought about by technological advancements often mean improved conditions and greater prosperity, he said. AI too will be no exception, driving a productivity boom and leading to an overall wealthier world, Altman added.
What might be different this time though may be the speed with which these changes come about, said Altman. “I think it will require a change to the socio economic contract and the way governments think about this, if it (job changes) happens at a very fast pace. The second thing is, it’s not going the way people predicted, so far, and I don’t think it will in the future,” he added.
![image - 2023-06-19T130255.690 image - 2023-06-19T130255.690](https://img.etimg.com/photo/msid-42031747/et-logo.jpg)
AI risks and regulation
Speaking on the risks of AI, Altman said GPT-4 does not pose an existential risk to the world, but noted that later version of the technology such as GPT-10 may be ‘an extremely different thing.’ As such, OpenAI has been focused, very early on, in calling for AI regulation to ensure the safe and ethical development and use of AI-based applications and technologies and mitigation of risks, he said.
“Given the importance of getting this right, even if it’s a 1% chance, I think putting a lot of effort into thinking and studying how we align an artifical general intelligence (AGI), how we design safe systems at this kind of scale, is super important. And starting that early is really good. I think we’re developing techniques to mitigate it. This is really why we started the company. This was like our initial focus, and still is our most important focus,” Altman said.
AI benefits
Nevertheless, Altman believes that, if harnessed correctly, AI has the potential to enhance efficiency, and solve challenges across industries, including healthcare, education, and energy. Altman views this technological progress, although currently underestimated, as a means to advance society sustainably and elevate the overall quality of life.
“I think it’s this generation of new scientific progress. If these systems can really contribute additional understanding of the world, better technology, better science, that is like the sustainable way that the world actually gets better, and that the quality of life increases. We’re not there yet. It might be soon, it might take a while, but I believe we are going to get there. I think we all underestimate that.”
Watch the full interview with Sam Altman,
Disclaimer: The news and editorial staff of ET had no role in the creation of this article.
For all the latest Technology News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.