Before OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s brief absence, a group of researchers on the staff reportedly conveyed a letter to the board of directors, cautioning about a significant artificial intelligence breakthrough that they believed could pose a threat to humanity, as per two individuals with knowledge of the situation.
The letter, which had not been disclosed previously, along with the AI algorithm, served as a catalyst leading to the board’s decision to remove Altman, who is prominently associated with generative AI.
Prior to his successful comeback on Tuesday evening, over 700 employees had expressed their intention to resign and align with supporter Microsoft in solidarity with their dismissed leader.
The sources pointed to the letter as one element in a broader array of grievances cited by the board, contributing to Altman’s dismissal.
As per one of the sources, Mira Murati, a longstanding executive, discussed the project known as Q*, pronounced as Q Star, with employees on Wednesday. She indicated that a letter had been dispatched to the board before the events that unfolded over the weekend.
Following the publication of the story, a spokesperson from OpenAI stated that Murati informed employees about the content of the media reports but refrained from offering any comments on the accuracy of the information.
The creator of ChatGPT had advanced work on Q*, a development that some insiders perceive as a potential breakthrough in the startup’s quest for superintelligence, commonly referred to as artificial general intelligence (AGI), according to information provided by an individual to Reuters. OpenAI defines AGI as AI systems surpassing human intelligence.
With considerable computing resources at its disposal, the new model successfully tackled specific mathematical problems, as conveyed by an individual who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to a lack of authorization to speak for the company.
Despite currently handling mathematics at a level comparable to grade-school students, the source indicated that the model’s proficiency in these tests has instilled a high level of optimism among researchers regarding Q*’s potential future success.
