OpenAI's track record on AI safety stinks — bordering on “functioning as a de facto advocacy arm” rather than a genuine research lab

It's no secret that OpenAI has had a rough couple of months — from investor pressure to evolve into a for-profit entity or risk losing funding, which would open it up to hostile takeovers and outsider interference, to Sam Altman declaring "code red" to improve ChatGPT amid intense competition from rivals like Anthropic and Google.

And as it turns out, the rain isn't done beating the ChatGPT maker yet. In a damning report by WIRED, at least two researchers have recently left OpenAI, citing concerns that the company has been less than truthful and overly guarded about its published research, particularly when it portrays the technology in a negative light or highlights potential economic ramifications.

Tom Cunningham, a former OpenAI economic researcher, was among the employees who left the firm recently. Perhaps more concerningly, in his farewell message shared internally with colleagues, the researcher expressed that he felt the team was shifting away from its core goal of conducting genuine research and instead “functioning as a de facto advocacy arm for OpenAI.”

However, OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon dismissed these claims through an internal memo, indicating that the firm must act as a responsible leader in AI and should not only raise problems with the tech, but also "build solutions."

This news comes as OpenAI continues to forge partnerships with government institutions and corporations, which has turned it into a $500 billion company in market valuation. Market analysts and experts predict that the AI firm's technology has the potential to revolutionize how people work.

However, there has been an increase in the number of reports suggesting that we're in an AI bubble, which could implode at any moment. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates likened it to the dot-com era's hype-driven overvaluations. "There are a ton of these investments that will be dead ends," Gates added.

In the past, OpenAI has published several research reports about its tech, detailing how it could impact the job market. Like its “GPTs Are GPTs" research paper from 2023, which detailed professions that are more susceptible to automation by AI as it becomes more prevalent.

However, according to sources with close affiliations with OpenAI who spoke to WIRED on condition of anonymity, claim that the company is now more reluctant to publish research that highlights AI's negative impact on the economy, and is more focused on releasing reports that highlight positive findings.

This isn't the first time OpenAI has been placed on the spot for its business operations and AI development. Last year, a report by The Financial Times detailed that safety processes and culture at OpenAI had seemingly taken a backseat while shiny products gained precedence.

Microsoft and OpenAI recently renewed their vows under a new definitive agreement, which essentially allows the tech giant to pursue AGI or superintelligence independently or through third parties. It also categorically states that OpenAI can't prematurely declare AGI to sever its Microsoft ties unless an expert independent panel verifies the claim.

Interestingly, Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman recently indicated that the company will abandon the technology if it poses any existential threat to humanity, which aligns with his push and agenda for humanist superintelligence — developing AI that's designed to serve people, not replace them.

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