Musk criticizes Microsoft-backed OpenAI for “training the AI to lie”
On Monday, Elon Musk announced his plan to launch an AI platform called “TruthGPT” to compete with Microsoft and Google’s current offerings. In an interview with Fox News Channel’s Tucker Carlson, Musk criticized Microsoft-backed OpenAI for “training the AI to lie” and accused Larry Page, co-founder of Google, of not taking AI safety seriously. Musk plans to launch an AI that seeks maximum truth and understands the nature of the universe, which he believes is the best path to safety. Musk, OpenAI, and Page have yet to respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
Musk poaches AI researchers from Google to launch a rival startup
Despite his criticism of OpenAI, Musk has been reportedly poaching AI researchers from Google to start a new company that rivals OpenAI. Recently, he registered a company called X.AI Corp in Nevada, where he is listed as the only director and Jared Birchall, managing director of Musk’s family office, is listed as the secretary. This move came even after Musk and a group of AI experts called for a six-month pause in developing systems more powerful than OpenAI’s newly launched GPT-4, citing potential risks to society.
Musk warns of the potential for “civilizational destruction” from AI
During the interview with Carlson, Musk reiterated his warning about the dangers of AI, saying it has the potential for “civilizational destruction.” He gave an example of how a super-intelligent AI could write incredibly well and potentially manipulate public opinion. Musk also tweeted over the weekend that he had met with former U.S. President Barack Obama and told him that Washington needed to “encourage AI regulation.”
Musk believes “TruthGPT” can provide a safer path to AI development
Musk co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but stepped down from the company’s board in 2018. In 2019, he tweeted that he left OpenAI because he had to focus on Tesla and SpaceX, but also because Tesla was competing for some of the same people as OpenAI and he didn’t agree with some of what OpenAI’s team wanted to do. Despite stepping down from OpenAI, Musk continues to be an influential figure in the AI industry, and his criticism of current AI offerings has sparked new conversations about AI safety and regulation.
