AI’s Game of Thrones: Sam Altman’s OpenAI Exit (And Next Step) Unraveled

ChatGPT is a chatbot that is powered by the GPT-3 language model. It uses machine learning algorithms to generate responses to user input. The GPT-3 model is a large, state-of-the-art language model trained on a massive amount of text data, allowing it to generate coherent and relevant responses to a given topic. ChatGPT can be used to chat with users in a conversational manner, providing answers to questions and engaging in back-and-forth dialogue. While it may not always provide the most accurate or detailed answers, it can be a fun and interesting way to interact with a machine-learning model.

Did an AI Chatbot write this answer?

The question, multiple answers, and (in this case, factual) explanation were written by OpenAI’s ChatGPT by using the prompt: “Create a quiz question on the subject “What is ChatGPT?” with four short multiple-choice answers, one funny, two misleading answers, and one correct answer, and then a 150-word explanation of the correct answer.” The prompt took longer to write than for the result to be generated. Within a week of ChatGPT being unveiled on Nov. 30, 2022, over a million users had tried to chat it up.

One of the main features of GPT-4 is that it can process and generate different types of media, such as images and videos. This allows users to input a picture or video and ask for a summary, description, or transformation. This feature was not present in GPT-3.5, which could only deal with text. OpenAI has not officially verified reports that GPT-4 was trained with 100 trillion parameters. GPT-3, on the other hand, was trained with “only” 175 billion parameters. GPT-4 is available for ChatGPT Plus users starting March 15, 2023.

Tesla is developing Optimus – a humanoid robot capable of performing unsafe, repetitive, or boring tasks. The robot’s introduction is on the 2022 Tesla AI day, Sept. 30, 2022. And yes, it takes its name from the Transformers’ Optimus Prime.

The ITU held the world’s first-ever news conference with humanoid robots in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 7th, 2023. Nine robots and their creators were available for reporters’ questions at this “unprecedented media event.” This was part of the UN’s AI for Good Global Summit. The humanoid robots reassured human reporters at the event that they had no intention of overthrowing or replacing them. They did suggest they could be more efficient government leaders.

Sam Altman is a tech entrepreneur and the CEO of OpenAI, a San Francisco-based research lab that creates artificial intelligence. OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been praised for its versatility and flexibility but criticized for its potential to spread misinformation. Altman testified before a Senate subcommittee on privacy, technology, and the law on May 16, 2023. He proposed the creation of a US or global agency to license the most powerful AI systems. Altman is also known for his previous role as president of Y Combinator. This startup accelerator has funded some of Silicon Valley’s most successful tech companies, including Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe.

With Microsoft’s investment package of $1 billion in 2019, OpenAI moved from non-profit to “capped” for-profit (with a profit cap set to 100X). A Semafor report published on Jan. 10, 2023, revealed Microsoft’s plan to invest an additional $10 billion in return for owning a 49 percent stake in OpenAI, which values the company at $29 billion. Other investors would get another 49 percent, and OpenAI’s non-profit parent company would own 2 percent.

Sam Altman, OpenAI chief executive and co-founder of Tools for Humanity, is behind the Worldcoin project, which aims to scan the irises of every human being on Earth. The latest buzz was on Aug. 7, 2023, during a glitzy event at an art gallery in downtown Manhattan, where shiny orbs greeted attendees. These orbs contain cameras designed to capture images of a person’s irises, converting these scans into unique digital IDs. The grand plan is to provide support in a world transformed by AI, with these IDs serving as the foundation.

According to a New York Times Jan. 20, 2023, article, the founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin have re-engaged with the company to help with its AI strategy. Google has been worried about ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, as it could potentially disrupt its search business. According to a slide presentation reviewed by the New York Times, the search giant plans to debut more than 20 new AI products and showcase a version of its search engine with chatbot features in 2023.

Are layoffs part of Google’s strategy for 2023?

Alphabet (Google’s parent company) cut 12,000 jobs in Jan. 2023. In a memo on Jan. 20, 2023, Sundar Pichai, Alphabet’s CEO, said that the layoffs ensure that “our people and roles are aligned with our highest priorities.”

Google announced on Feb. 6, 2023, that it’s launching a chatbot service called Bard. The conversational AI is being tested for feedback and will be released to the public in the coming weeks. Bard explains complex subjects in simple terms and does other things, like providing tips on planning a party or lunch ideas. It’s part of a project called Atlas by Google to counter ChatGPT’s success. Sundar Pichai, Google CEO, declared Bard combines the breadth of the world’s knowledge with AI’s power, intelligence, and creativity.

Who is winning the AI race?

In December, UBS analysts reported that ChatGPT had 57 million unique visitors, potentially outpacing TikTok’s adoption rate. $10bn is being invested in OpenAI by Microsoft, which plans to integrate AI into every product it makes. Google is partnering with a start-up led by former OpenAI leaders, Anthropic, to add AI features to its search engine and other products.

Google released its conversational AI bot Bard on March 21, 2023, as a stand-alone webpage featuring a question box. Google’s Bard is a chatbot trained to be informative and comprehensive, while Microsoft’s Bing is a chatbot optimized for search results. This makes Bard a noticeably less effective tool than Bing at surfacing useful information from the internet. However, it is supposedly better at answering questions that require a conversational approach. Google now allows limited public access to its Bard AI chatbot in some territories, granting access to tens of thousands of users who join a waiting list.

Google’s Bard, the ever-so-helpful AI chatbot, has a nifty new feature aptly named “Google It.” Whenever you doubt Bard’s overconfident answers, you can simply click on the “G” icon, and Bard will cross-reference its response with the vast web. This marvelous feature was unveiled on Sept. 19, 2023. You can find it right in your Bard chat. Validated answers glow reassuring green, while the more dubious ones blush in orange.

Baidu, China’s search engine mogul, unveiled Ernie Bot, China’s AI chatbot sensation, on Aug. 31, 2023. Not before Beijing approved Baidu’s decision to release Ernie Bot to the public, of course. By the afternoon of its grand debut, Ernie Bot became the top app on Apple’s iOS store in China. And as a cherry on top, Baidu’s stock price danced up by over 3%.

Elon Musk gave his AI project that he says will try to understand the nature of the universe (and avoid annihilating humans) the name TruthGPT. He announced his plan to create his own rival to OpenAI’s Chat-GPT in an interview with Fox News’s Tucker Carlson on April 17, 2023. Musk also said he created the X.AI company in Nevada and approached AI researchers to join his team. Optimus is the name of Musk’s humanoid AI bot that he revealed at Tesla’s AI Day event in August 2022, which aims to replace workers at routine, repetitive jobs. No connection to Donald Trump’s Truth Social.

Elon Musk, the tech mogul behind SpaceX and Tesla, announced the formation of his new artificial intelligence company, xAI, on July 12, 2023. Musk, known for his ambitious and futuristic projects, aims to use xAI to “understand reality” and delve deeper into the realm of AI. The announcement was made on Twitter, and Musk also had a July 14 Twitter Spaces talk to discuss the venture in more detail.

Elon Musk, a co-founder of OpenAI and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, was one of the signatories of an open letter published by the Future of Life Institute, a nonprofit backed by Musk, on March 29, 2023. The letter urged AI labs to stop training AI systems more powerful than GPT-4, OpenAI’s latest large-language model. It suggested a six-month pause or government suspension to jointly allow independent experts to develop and implement shared safety protocols for AI systems.

Who co-signed the AI-stopping letter?

The letter was also signed by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple; Yuval Noah Harari, historian and author; Andrew Yang, entrepreneur, and former US presidential candidate; and more than 1,000 other tech leaders.

Nvidia is the leading producer of graphics processing units (GPUs), essential for running complex AI models that generate human-like content. The company’s shares have soared by more than 200% since October 2023 as investors were impressed by its revenue forecast and generative AI innovation. On May 30, 2023, Nvidia briefly joined the exclusive club of US companies with a market value of $1tn. This club includes Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon.

Paul McCartney told BBC Radio 4’s Today program on June 12, 2023, that AI technology was used to separate Lennon’s voice and a piano from a 1978 demo recorded two years before his death. “Now And Then” was given to McCartney by Yoko Ono in 1994. Two other songs from the same cassette, “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” were released in 1995 and 1996 as part of the Beatles’ Anthology series. However, “Now And Then” was abandoned due to background noise and technical issues. McCartney said AI had given him another chance to finish the song, which he called “the final Beatles record.” The song was released in October 2023.

Anthropic is a start-up founded by some brainy folks from OpenAI. They’re diving deep into “Generative AI.” On Sept. 25, 2023, Amazon, the e-commerce giant, splashed up $4 billion on them, with Amazon Web Services becoming the company’s primary cloud playground.

After the dramatic boardroom shuffle at OpenAI, which saw Sam Altman ousted from his CEO throne on Nov. 17, 2023, he didn’t have to wander the tech wilderness for long. While Microsoft swiftly announced they scooped up Altman and his comrade-in-AI, Greg Brockman, by Nov. 22, Altman was back at OpenAI’s CEO seat.

A pre-bunking approach involves releasing short videos that show people how to spot false claims. It is considered a quick and easy method of limiting the impact of misinformation. In the fall of 2022, Google launched a prebunking video campaign in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia in the largest test of the method. The videos dissect different techniques used to make false claims about Ukrainian refugees. A new German prebunking campaign from Google will focus on photos and videos and the ease with which they can be posed as evidence of something false.

According to director and executive producer Ali Selim, Marvel’s Secret Invasion intro sequence was designed by Method Studios using artificial intelligence. The opening credits show a watercolor rendering of Secret Invasion’s key players and themes. The series follows Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as he uncovers a covert invasion by the shapeshifting Skrull population on Earth. The AI-generated credits sparked backlash online and criticism that the controversial technology might cost artists their jobs. The series debuted on Disney+ on June 21, 2023.

During the historic 2023 strike, SAG-AFTRA sought significant increases in minimum wages to match the rising cost of living. They also sought AI protections ensuring that their digital doubles wouldn’t steal the show without compensation, and streaming participation bonuses recognizing that binge-watching isn’t just a hobby; it’s an economic frontier. The strike, which paused the industry since July 14, officially ended on November 9, 2023. The deal, described as “historic” by Union President Fran Drescher, is set to bring about the biggest contract-on-contract gains in the union’s history.

This AI-generated persona is being used on YouTube to spread malware. The videos are supposed to trick people into downloading Photoshop, Premiere Pro, or various video games from malicious links in the description section. Since November 2022, there have been 200-300% more such video frauds. This is according to CloudSEK, an artificial intelligence company predicting cyber threats, in a report published on March 13, 2023.

What’s the Danger?

Info stealers use those links to steal passwords, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, browser data, crypto wallet details, and system info from personal computers.

How do they make those videos?

To make their videos look more professional and trustworthy, hackers create realistic-looking personas with Synthesia and D-ID. Additionally, they hijack existing YouTube accounts with huge subscriber bases and use various tricks to avoid detection.