Concerns about the hazards and lack of adequate controls for AI systems such as ChatGPT are growing, prompting OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to defend his company’s AI technology as safe for public usage.
Speaking to developers at a Microsoft event in Seattle, Altman made his comments as a fresh controversy broke out over an OpenAI AI voice that looked a lot like Scarlett Johansson’s.
In any case, the CEO of OpenAI spent about ten minutes delivering a motivational speech on how developers are essential to AI’s future.
Last Monday, OpenAI disbanded its “super alignment” group, a team committed to reducing AI’s long-term risks, raising doubts about the company’s dedication to safety.
As part of his resignation announcement, team co-leader Jan Leike took to X to blame OpenAI for prioritizing “shiny new products” over safety.
Following the departure of the team responsible for minimizing long-term AI risks, the CEO, who gained worldwide fame when OpenAI published ChatGPT in 2022, is also dealing with concerns over the security of the company’s AI.
Microsoft relies on OpenAI, a close collaborator, for essential technologies, most notably the GPT-4 big language model, which is used to construct AI tools.
Microsoft has joined the AI bandwagon with the release of new products and an emphasis on the benefits of generative AI.
Despite criticism, Altman maintained that OpenAI has invested considerable effort in improving the security of its models.
OpenAI is facing another controversy.
Scarlett Johansson accused the company of employing a voice that was “eerily similar” to hers for their GPT-4o chatbot. She made a public statement in which she voiced her anger over the fact that OpenAI’s ChatGPT employed a voice that sounded identical to hers in the 2013 film “Her.”
This particular voice, “Sky,” was shown last week with the launch of OpenAI’s GPT-4o model, which aims to be more naturally expressive.
Tuesday, Altman issued a brief statement in which he expressed his apologies to Johansson but clarified that the voice was not really hers.
