Silicon Valley’s new golden goose could be opening up the holy grail of AI for business.
Driving the news: OpenAI is considering scrapping a clause in its corporate structure that blocks Microsoft from accessing its AI models if it achieves "artificial general intelligence" (AGI), a measure originally put in place to prevent the (theoretically) powerful tech from being misused.
- AGI is defined by OpenAI as a “highly autonomous system that outperforms humans at most economically valuable work” — in other words, when robots can do our jobs better than us.
Why it matters: As it tries to keep pace in the ludicrously expensive AI race, OpenAI is facing increased criticism that it is prioritizing profit over what’s best for humanity. Giving Microsoft access to tech that it previously deemed too consequential to commercialize won’t do much to dispel that narrative.
- The startup is already in the process of restructuring into a for-profit business, a move that has coincided with several departures from its leadership and safety teams.
Bottom line: Barring investors like Microsoft from accessing its most advanced AI models will make it harder for OpenAI to drum up more cash. With plans to build US$100 billion worth of data centers, keeping AGI off the table might not be an option anymore.—LA