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OpenAI Welcomes Sarah Friar (CFO) and Kevin Weil (CPO)

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61–70 of 94 posts

Re: OpenAI Welcomes Sarah Friar (CFO) and Kevin Weil (CPO)

#61
post #51
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WWDC is today, any major stock price movement is almost certainly due whatever they are announcing.

Yes, I know, I was tracking the stock while watching WWDC. But there was a very sudden precipitous fall right when this was announced.

We expected to have Apple unveiling world-class local models, and announcement of a framework where you can train and run your models in M4.

And we got a wrapper around ChatGPT 4 + a cloudy-ish dystopian spyware-like copy of Copilot+ that sends your screenshots and activity to a "secure cloud".

Re: OpenAI Welcomes Sarah Friar (CFO) and Kevin Weil (CPO)

#62
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my opinion, OpenAI is building a platform business [1]. OpenAI is primarily an innovation platform. It provides tools, models, and APIs that enable developers and businesses to create new applications and services, fostering a wide ecosystem of innovation where OpenAI’s technology is the beating heart, driving high-margin revenue. While it also sells API access, its main role aligns with enabling third-party innov…

This is the most insightful nugget into OAI's consumer product strategy I've read, thank you.

I’m a passionate student of Prof. David Yoffie at HBS. His many case studies on the tech industry are worth buying, as is his book on platforms referred to in my previous comment.

Re: OpenAI Welcomes Sarah Friar (CFO) and Kevin Weil (CPO)

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Do these people actually even believe in AI? The moment that every one who gave a shit about safety quit OpenAI you should have understood that there was no AI coming. This has always been, and will always be about the money.

Implying that these people quite because they realized they weren't needed (no need for safety if AI isn't coming) rather than what seems like the common perspective being that safety initiatives always lost out over money making opportunities?

Rewind the clock a few years.

The google engineer who was saying google had AGI. The MS paper saying GPT had hints of AGI. The MS deal "you can have everything up to AGI".

The approach was one where a big enough model could be made to feed back in on it self (Q*). If we feed enough data into a big enough model then it will "tip over" and turn into AGI, or sentient or sapient... The problem is that this doesn't work, it never would have worked, the math does not support it. Pointing it back at it self doesn't get you more it gets you an ouroboros.

Why do you sign a deal "up to AGI" if you dont think you're close to AGI? They did, they were high on their own supply, reality set in, people look foolish, and they moved on.

Re: OpenAI Welcomes Sarah Friar (CFO) and Kevin Weil (CPO)

#64
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think even the most bullish e/acc AI fanatic is probably not 100% sure AGI will be developed in a year or two, and so even in the most optimistic case you would want to hedge your bets.

Maybe not a year or two but the e/acc fanatics I know are 99.9% convinced its happening within the next 4-5. As in, anything short of World War 3 and it's happening. Maybe even still happening.

These don't seem like the brightest bulbs.

Re: OpenAI Welcomes Sarah Friar (CFO) and Kevin Weil (CPO)

#65
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I know, I was tracking the stock while watching WWDC. But there was a very sudden precipitous fall right when this was announced.

I also went to the bathroom around that time, so maybe that had an impact?

It only counts if you're placing buy/sell orders based on your breaks.

Re: OpenAI Welcomes Sarah Friar (CFO) and Kevin Weil (CPO)

#66
post #30

But if you actually believe they'll be super AI in a year or two, why even bother with a product till then? Seems like the only focus should be getting there first. Unless of course you don't actually believe that.

They've disbanded their superlignment group, and their staff who were able to work on the problem more deeply (STEM people) have since quit, see https://scottaaronson.blog/?p=8047 (N.b. in the ex-employee author's pdf article mentioned above, a page dedicates his pdf to Ilya, who is also out of the company, so in context it's a pointed statement writing that dedication IMO)

This appears to project the last few years' growth continuously into the future, whereas a great many experts seem to be suggesting that we've hit a plateau.

I tend to believe the plateau theory, given how AI development has occurred over the last several decades with huge leaps forward followed by winters.

Re: OpenAI Welcomes Sarah Friar (CFO) and Kevin Weil (CPO)

#67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not insinuating. I'm asking. It's a pretty reasonable question for both of them. Perhaps more for the CFO, given what we know of Altman's, er, lack of candour with the board where money is concerned. But maybe given the "Her" debate it applies to both of them, in different ways. Is this a company where the executives can really be more than rubber stamps?

I don't think anyone in an executive position cares about the Her "debate". It's Twitter-level gossip.

Yeah, they don't care so much that there were direct follow ups to the up roar

Re: OpenAI Welcomes Sarah Friar (CFO) and Kevin Weil (CPO)

#68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Implying that these people quite because they realized they weren't needed (no need for safety if AI isn't coming) rather than what seems like the common perspective being that safety initiatives always lost out over money making opportunities?

Rewind the clock a few years. The google engineer who was saying google had AGI. The MS paper saying GPT had hints of AGI. The MS deal "you can have everything up to AGI". The approach was one where a big enough model could be made to feed back in on it self (Q*). If we feed enough data into a big enough model then it will "tip over" and turn into AGI, or sentient or sapient... The problem is that this doesn't work,…

Seems to me like you’d be more likely to sign a deal “up to AGI” if you knew that was a pipe dream that would never happen. It’s easy to sign away your firstborn child if you’ll never have any children to begin with.

Edit: Nevermind, looks like it's just a way to hype then!

Re: OpenAI Welcomes Sarah Friar (CFO) and Kevin Weil (CPO)

#69
post #6

really interesting to see them hire two folks from consumer-tech backgrounds, rather than B2B or developer tools. I wonder if that signals an increasing focus on ChatGPT as a consumer product rather than the API / Enterprise products? (Edit: Sarah actually has a background in both Enterprise and Consumer)

In my opinion, OpenAI is building a platform business [1]. OpenAI is primarily an innovation platform. It provides tools, models, and APIs that enable developers and businesses to create new applications and services, fostering a wide ecosystem of innovation where OpenAI’s technology is the beating heart, driving high-margin revenue. While it also sells API access, its main role aligns with enabling third-party innov…

Why does the existence of ChatGPT reduce the risk of disintermediation?

Re: OpenAI Welcomes Sarah Friar (CFO) and Kevin Weil (CPO)

#70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rewind the clock a few years. The google engineer who was saying google had AGI. The MS paper saying GPT had hints of AGI. The MS deal "you can have everything up to AGI". The approach was one where a big enough model could be made to feed back in on it self (Q*). If we feed enough data into a big enough model then it will "tip over" and turn into AGI, or sentient or sapient... The problem is that this doesn't work,…

Seems to me like you’d be more likely to sign a deal “up to AGI” if you knew that was a pipe dream that would never happen. It’s easy to sign away your firstborn child if you’ll never have any children to begin with. Edit: Nevermind, looks like it's just a way to hype then!

You got this backwards.

M$ gets everything OpenAi does till they reach AGI.

The deal is "give me everything till you have that baby"

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