Contrary to Reports, OpenAI Probably Isn't Building Humanity-Threatening Artificial Intelligence

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The Hype Around Q*

From recent headlines, you might be inclined to think that OpenAI has indeed invented a technology with the potential to threaten humanity. Reuters and The Information first reported last week that several OpenAI staff members had written a letter to the AI startup’s board of directors, flagging the "prowess" and "potential danger" of an internal research project known as ‘Q*.’ This AI project, according to the reporting, could solve certain math problems — albeit only at grade-school level — but had in the researchers’ opinion a chance of building toward an elusive technical breakthrough.

The Debate Surrounding Q*

There’s now debate as to whether OpenAI’s board ever received such a letter. The Verge cites sources suggesting that it didn’t. But let’s look beyond the framing of Q* and explore what this project is all about.

What Is Q*?

Q*, or Query* is an AI research project aimed at advancing language models’ reasoning capabilities. This project leverages techniques like self-modifying code and multimodal learning to create more intelligent and versatile language models.

Experts Weigh In

AI experts and researchers have been weighing in on the significance of Q*. According to Lamers, if Q* uses some of the techniques described in a paper published by OpenAI researchers in May, it could "significantly" increase the capabilities of language models. Based on the paper, OpenAI might’ve discovered a way to control the ‘reasoning chains’ of language models, enabling them to guide models to follow more desirable and logically sound ‘paths’ to reach outcomes.

Increased Capabilities

This would make it less likely that models follow ‘foreign to human thinking’ and spurious-patterns to reach malicious or wrong conclusions. Lamers believes this is actually a win for OpenAI in terms of alignment, as most AI researchers agree we need better ways to train these large models, such that they can more efficiently consume information.

The Reality Behind Q*

However, whatever emerges from Q*, it — and the relatively simple math equations it solves — won’t spell doom for humanity. As Lamers asserts, "It’s unlikely that researchers at OpenAI have had ideas that have not also been had by the substantial number of researchers also pursuing advances in AI."

The Trends in AI Research

According to Riedl, these are all ideas being actively pursued by other researchers across academia and industry, with dozens of papers on these topics in the last six months or more. This means that Q*, while potentially innovative, is unlikely to be a game-changer in the field.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the hype around Q* might have been exaggerated. OpenAI’s project might not pose an existential threat to humanity after all. As AI research continues to advance, we should focus on understanding the genuine breakthroughs and innovations that can truly change the world.