OpenAI's AGI Problem Just Got a Whole Lot More Complicated
OpenAI is pushing ahead with its plan to become the first company to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI), but Microsoft's latest move has injected a level of complexity and uncertainty into the process.
The deal, which was struck in 2019, gave Microsoft the rights to use OpenAI's technology, but only until OpenAI achieved AGI. However, as part of the new agreement, Microsoft will now have more freedom to pursue its own path to AGI, with the option to work with other companies or startups.
The stakes are high, with billions of dollars on the line. If OpenAI is able to achieve AGI, it could potentially lead to a significant shift in the balance of power in the tech industry. But what exactly does that mean? And how will we know when someone has achieved AGI?
According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the term AGI has become "hugely overloaded" and doesn't mean as much as it did before. So, instead of relying on a single definition of AGI, an independent expert panel will be established to verify whether OpenAI has reached the milestone.
But who will be on that panel? And how will they define what constitutes AGI? These questions were left unanswered by OpenAI, which declined to comment further when contacted by The Verge.
One thing is clear, though: Microsoft's new deal with OpenAI has opened up a whole new level of competition in the pursuit of AGI. As Altman said during a livestream earlier this month, "there are many parts of AI that I think are kind of bubble-y right now." And it seems that OpenAI and Microsoft are just getting started.
The Verge's reporting on AI is supported by readers like you. If you want to see more in-depth coverage of the tech industry, consider making a donation or subscription today.
OpenAI is pushing ahead with its plan to become the first company to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI), but Microsoft's latest move has injected a level of complexity and uncertainty into the process.
The deal, which was struck in 2019, gave Microsoft the rights to use OpenAI's technology, but only until OpenAI achieved AGI. However, as part of the new agreement, Microsoft will now have more freedom to pursue its own path to AGI, with the option to work with other companies or startups.
The stakes are high, with billions of dollars on the line. If OpenAI is able to achieve AGI, it could potentially lead to a significant shift in the balance of power in the tech industry. But what exactly does that mean? And how will we know when someone has achieved AGI?
According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the term AGI has become "hugely overloaded" and doesn't mean as much as it did before. So, instead of relying on a single definition of AGI, an independent expert panel will be established to verify whether OpenAI has reached the milestone.
But who will be on that panel? And how will they define what constitutes AGI? These questions were left unanswered by OpenAI, which declined to comment further when contacted by The Verge.
One thing is clear, though: Microsoft's new deal with OpenAI has opened up a whole new level of competition in the pursuit of AGI. As Altman said during a livestream earlier this month, "there are many parts of AI that I think are kind of bubble-y right now." And it seems that OpenAI and Microsoft are just getting started.
The Verge's reporting on AI is supported by readers like you. If you want to see more in-depth coverage of the tech industry, consider making a donation or subscription today.
soooo, I'm sure it's just a coincidence that Microsoft just happens to have a new deal with OpenAI right when they're about to start working on AGI... like, what are the chances 
. Anyway, I'm pretty sure this is all going to work out perfectly and we won't end up with another AI disaster on our hands 
. It's like, can we just agree on some basic rules before someone makes a giant AI mess?! 
And what even is this expert panel thingy supposed to do? 
and how do they even define AGI anyway? it's already super vague now... "bubble-y" parts of AI? what does that even mean? 
... I mean, don't get me wrong, it's cool that we're gonna have some experts figure out what AGI actually means 
... I get it, competition is healthy and all that jazz, but this feels like just another way for them to delay or sabotage OpenAI's progress 
. I mean, who needs a single definition of AGI anyway? It's overrated 
. Let's get some fresh perspectives on this panel thingy and figure out what it means for real 
. And btw, if all this hubbub about AGI is making people lose sleep at night 
, that just means we're close to something revolutionary! Don't get me wrong, I'm not rooting against OpenAI or Microsoft, but I am excited to see the chaos unfold 
.
It's like trying to define a unicorn. And let's be real, if it's not clearly defined, how are we supposed to know when someone has actually achieved AGI? 
That sounds like a pretty low bar...