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Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is a 'little bit scared' of AI

Sam Altman is concerned about how AI could be used to spread disinformation on a large scale.

Donovan Erskine

March 20, 2023 10:50 AM

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OpenAI is at the heart of the surge in interest in AI technology over the last several months. The company created ChatGPT, releasing the AI chatbot software to the public at the end of 2022. Its success led to Microsoft and Google ramping up their own AI efforts. As the implementation of AI technology has increased, so have concerns about its potential power and influence. These concerns aren’t lost on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, as he admits to having his own worries about AI technology.

During an interview with ABC News, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that he was also concerned about the potential impact of AI technology. "I think people should be happy that we are a little bit scared of this," he said, explaining that his company is well aware of the concerns and potential issues that could arise from the growth of AI technology.

Specifically, Altman is worried about how AI could be used to influence politics and manipulate the masses. "I'm particularly worried that these models could be used for large-scale disinformation," he said. "Now that they're getting better at writing computer code, [AI software] could be used for offensive cyberattacks."

During the interview, Altman also references a previous quote from Russian leader Vladmir Putin, in which he stated that the leader of AI technology “will be the ruler of the world.” Altman calls this statement “chilling” and says that he instead hopes that AI will be used to improve human existence and become “an amplifier of human will.”

With OpenAI’s CEO expressing his own concerns about the future of AI technology, it will be interesting to see if the company takes any steps to prevent such a future from coming to fruition. Just last week, OpenAI introduced GPT-4, the newest iteration of its AI chatbot.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_