What The Sam Altman Saga Says About Technology, Its Uses, Misuses, And Abuses!! Plus, The Need For "Responsibility" Among Silicon Valley Wunderkids!!!
By now, everyone and their unicorn would've known about the unfolding #samaltman "saga" over this weekend. The way the "whiz" of #artificialintelligence, who, among others, gave us the wildly popular and a bit calamitous #chatgpt, was "ousted" from #openai, the multi #billion #dollar firm, speaks a lot on how #generativeai evokes both drama and dread, for its impact on #society.
At the time of writing, rumors are flying thick and fast on how the #openai #board is under immense "pressure" from #investors and #employees alike to "reverse" its decision and reinstate #altman. This too says a lot about how #siliconvalley is being "consumed" by the very #virality it created in the first place. Think about it!! Hardly 24 hours have elapsed and already the knives are out for the #boardmembers, who by all accounts, took a very "courageous" stance.
At stake is not only the fact that #ai is a game changer, but also, whether we need #guardrails around it, and whether it is better to #regulate #artificialintelligence sooner rather than later. Indeed, perhaps, the #openai #board's actions over the next 24 hours would determine a "momentous" moment, as #sensational as the firing of #stevejobs from #apple in 1985, and that of #jackdorsey from #twitter, a decade ago.
The point is, leaving aside the super #nerds like #altman, #brockman, and #stuveysar, "we" simply don't "get" #technology like #ai, unlike the earlier "iterations" of #technological #innovation like the #pc, #smartphones, and briadly, the #internet. Precisely because #ai is a "blackbox", with potentially both "dangerous" and developmental impacts, we need someone who can take a "hard" look, without bias, due to #fiduciary considerations.
Maybe, #biden and #sunak, among other world leaders, #macron included, have realized that #ai needs #regulation before it gets out of hand. Of course, #samaltman was "schmoozing" with the likes of the above just a few days before his ouster on Friday. So, this reinforces the case for not only better "control", but also effective monitoring, not "colored" by monetary imperatives. After all, some "suggest" the ongoing "saga" is a #profits over #safety #issue with the "enormous" #gains from #chatgpt outweighing the #risks from #sentient #technology.
As the #weekend unfolds, I would bet on the #billions trumping the #board, with the likes of #Microsoft (remember its $10 Billion "investment", but, not a stake), and #satyanadella already in the act. It would be a sad day indeed if the #titans of #tech take the side of #profits over #safety, and bring back #altman, ditching #responsibility for #returns. However, this is the most likely outcome this #sunday, and one that underscores the high "stakes" for not only "them", but, for all of us as well.
#technology is good!! But, not at the "cost" of damaging #humanity.
