Sam Altman is back on the conference circuit and touting AI's benefits to humanity, days after regaining the lead at the world's best-known artificial intelligence startup.
22.11.2023 - 20:51 / gamedeveloper.com / Marc Whitten / Ai
The saga of Sam Altman's firing and re-hiring from OpenAI happened at a distance from the video game industry. Some game developers have been experimenting with the GPT-4 API to create chatbot-like NPCs, but major platform owners like Valve have signaled they won't allow games built on the model to be sold without proof they were built on data owned by the developer.
That wrinkle in the video game industry's AI adoption speaks to one adjective bandied about by developers when discussing generative AI tools: the word "ethical." We started hearing the phrase as early as 2017, and Unity outlined its plans for ethical AI in 2018. Throughout 2023 we've heard AI developers big and small roll out the phrase, seemingly with the awareness that there is general unease about how AI tools are made and how they are used.
Last week's events, tumultuous as they were, should make things clear for developers: when push comes to shove, it's profits, not ethics, that are driving the AI boom–and those loudly championing the ethics of their own AI tools deserve the most scrutiny.
2023 has given us a bounty of case studies to unpack why developers are worried about the "ethics" of generative AI. Unity's Marc Whitten explained to us in a recent chat that the company's AI tools have been ethically designed so developers can ensure they own their data, and that the data used to make their game content has been properly licensed.
That explanation addressed concerns about data ownership and generative AI tools, which have been repeatedly shown to be harvesting words and images that the developers did not have the rights to.
The flip side of the ethical AI coin is the deployment of the tools. Voice actors have become the first victims of AI deployment, as companies have either pressured them to sign away their voices for future replication or watched as too-eager fans ran their voices through commercially available tools to mod them into other games.
This threatens to not only take away their jobs but force words into their mouth that they never said—a pretty violating sensation if your job is to use your voice to perform.
With such high-profile examples developers are right to be worried about the ethical deployment of "AI." But the strange saga of Sam Altman's ouster and re-coronation at OpenAI—an organization supposedly structured to prioritized ethics over profits—shows that ethics are already being deprioritized by the day.
The heart of Altman's ouster was actually rather surprising. When the company announced his termination on Friday it was reasonable to assume that dramatic accusations against the CEO were about to drop. But we have to give him some credit—none did.
At the time, OpenAI's board said that Altman had been terminated
Sam Altman is back on the conference circuit and touting AI's benefits to humanity, days after regaining the lead at the world's best-known artificial intelligence startup.
This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the buzzword of 2023, with the world's biggest companies launching their suite of AI services not just for consumers, but for businesses as well. While AI technology has been growing for some time, it is safe to say that this revolution really kicked off when OpenAI launched its AI chatbot ChatGPT in November 2022. Since then, rapid advancements have taken place in the field, with companies like Microsoft and Google releasing their AI services. AI for business has also become highly sought after, with companies leveraging the new tech to grow their business and offer more services to consumers. However, OpenAI Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap thinks this technology is overhyped. He also revealed some details about the shock resignation and the eventual return of CEO Sam Altman.
In a recent turn of events, Sam Altman, co-founder of OpenAI, has reclaimed his position as the CEO of OpenAI after a tumultuous episode involving his shocking initial dismissal and subsequent reinstatement. The lingering question that has stayed in many people's minds is the reason behind this unexpected sequence of events. During an interview with The Verge, Altman addressed this query and more. While refraining from disclosing the initial cause of his dismissal, he expressed his joy at rejoining the company. Altman emphasised that the matter is still under investigation, urging that such questions should be directed to the OpenAI board rather than himself.
OpenAI has been through a lot of dramatic changes over these past few weeks with the board members firing the company CEO Sam Altman. While the feud did not last long and Altman eventually made his way back as OpenAI CEO, the company has made significant changes in their board with three new members and Microsoft is also getting a seat on the board, however, as a silent member. Check Microsoft's role in the OpenAI board and how it will function to ensure the company's success.
When OpenAI's leaders return to work on Monday they'll have one thing at the top of their to-do list: figure out what to do about the nonprofit board that nearly killed them.
The five-day drama, which showcased the firing of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and then reinstating him as the company’s Chief Executive, is just another example of how haywire the realm of Silicon Valley can be. However, Altman’s firing was not due to him maintaining a rebellious attitude with the board but due to an AI breakthrough discovery by OpenAI researchers that could potentially be dangerous to humanity.
It's been quite a week for ChatGPT-maker OpenAI — and co-founder Sam Altman.
Unlike Google, Facebook and other tech giants, the company behind ChatGPT was not created to be a business. It was set up as a nonprofit by founders who hoped that it wouldn't be beholden to commercial interests.
Are you looking to showcase your brand in front of the brightest minds of the gaming industry? Consider getting a custom GamesBeat sponsorship. Learn more.
Sam Altman and members of the OpenAI board have opened negotiations aimed at a possible return of the ousted co-founder and chief executive officer to the artificial intelligence company, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
This is not investment advice. The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Wccftech.com has a disclosure and ethics policy.