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We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

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Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#531

Post by MattHeard »

I was hopeful for a private-industry approach to AI safety, but it looks unlikely now, and due to the slow pace of state investment in public AI R&D, all approaches to AI safety look unlikely now.

Safety research on toy models will continue to provide developments, but the industry expectation appears to be that emergent properties puts a low ceiling on what can be learned about safety without researching on cutting edge models.

Altman touted the governance structure of OpenAI as a mechanism for ensuring the organisation's prioritisation of safety, but the reports of internal reallocation away from safety towards keeping ChatGPT running under load concern me. Now the board has demonstrated that it was technically capable but insufficiently powerful to keep these interests in line, it seems unclear how any safety-oriented organisation, including Anthropic, could avoid the accelerationist influence of funders.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#532

Post by mdekkers »

Satam wrote: post #215

Disappointing outcome. The process has conclusively confirmed that OpenAI is in fact not open and that it is effectively controlled by Microsoft. Furthermore, the overwhelming groupthink shows there's clearly little critical thinking amongst OpenAI's employees either. It might not seem like the case right now, but I think the real disruption is just about to begin. OpenAI does not have in its DNA to win, they're too…

Very disappointing outcome indeed. Larry Summers is the Architect of the modern Russian Oligarchy[1] and responsible for an incredible amount of human suffering as well as gross financial disparity both in the USA as well as the rest of the world.

Not someone I would like to see running the world’s leading AI company

[1] https://www.thenation.com/article/world/harvard-boys-do-russ...

Edit: also https://prospect.org/economy/falling-upward-larry-summers/

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/03/22/1087654279/how...

And finally https://cepr.net/can-we-blame-larry-summers-for-the-collapse...

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#533

Post by ssnistfajen »

astrange wrote: post #363
halfjoking wrote: post #115

Still think this was CIA operation to get OpenAI in hands of US government and big tech. Former Secretary, SalesForce CEO who was board chair of Twitter when infiltrated with FBI [1] and the fall-guy for the coup is the new board? Not one person from the actual company - not even Greg who did nothing wrong??? [1] - https://twitter.com/NameRedacted247/status/16340211499976867... The two think-tank women who made all t…

US companies don't need to be "in the hands of the government", we have rule of law. And Helen Toner was already as much of a fed as you could want; she had exactly the resume a CIA agent would have. (Probably wasn't though.)

Rule of law that can be altered at any moment Patriot Act style is hardly reassuring.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#534

Post by oblio »

Satam wrote: post #215

Disappointing outcome. The process has conclusively confirmed that OpenAI is in fact not open and that it is effectively controlled by Microsoft. Furthermore, the overwhelming groupthink shows there's clearly little critical thinking amongst OpenAI's employees either. It might not seem like the case right now, but I think the real disruption is just about to begin. OpenAI does not have in its DNA to win, they're too…

One thing I'm not sure I understand... what's OpenAI's business model? In my eyes, GPT & co is, just like Dropbox, just a feature. It's not a product.

And just like Dropbox, in the end, what disruption? GPT will just be a checkbox for products others build. Cool tech, but not a full product.

Of course, I'd love to be proven wrong.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#535

Post by jampekka »

drexlspivey wrote: post #495
Satam wrote: post #215

Disappointing outcome. The process has conclusively confirmed that OpenAI is in fact not open and that it is effectively controlled by Microsoft. Furthermore, the overwhelming groupthink shows there's clearly little critical thinking amongst OpenAI's employees either. It might not seem like the case right now, but I think the real disruption is just about to begin. OpenAI does not have in its DNA to win, they're too…

You would expect the company that owns 49% of the shares to have some input in firing the CEO, why is that disappointing? If they had more control this shitshow would never have happened.

MS doesn't own any part of OpenAI, Inc. In fact nobody really owns it. That was the whole point.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#536

Post by asd88 »

campbel wrote: post #275
intended wrote: post #203

From a business sense, Satya was excellent. He made the right calls, fast, with limited information. Things further shifted from plan a to b to… whatever this is. Despite that, MSFT still came out on top. Consider if Satya didn’t say anything. Suppose MSFT stood back and let things play out. That’s a gap for google or some competitor to make a move. To showcase their stability and long term business friendly vision.…

The only mistake (a big one) was publicly offering to match comp for all the OpenAI employees. Can't sit well with folks @ MS already. This was something they could have easily done privately to give petition signers confidence.

Nah, Microsoft employees being second class citizens compared to acquisitions is nothing new. e.g. compare Microsoft comp with LinkedIn/GitHub comp.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#537

Post by wouldbecouldbe »

shubhamjain wrote: post #162

At the end of the day, we still don't know what exactly happened and probably, never will. However, it seems clear there was a rift between Rapid Commercialization (Team Sam) and Upholding the Original Principles (Team Helen/Ilya). I think the tensions were brewing for quite a while, as it's evident from an article written even before GPT-3 [1]. > Over time, it has allowed a fierce competitiveness and mounting pressu…

Would have been interesting if they appointed a co-ceo. That still might be the way to go.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#538

Post by tim333 »

eclectic29 wrote: post #196

The media and the VCs are treating Sam like some hero and savior of AI. I’m not getting it. What has he done in life and/or AI to deserve so much respect and admiration? Why don’t top researchers and scientists get equivalent (if not more) respect, admiration and support? It looks like one should strive to become product manager, not an engineer or a scientist.

I don't think the media are treating him as a "hero and savior of AI". However OpenAI and ChatGTP have undoubtedly been successful and he seems popular with his people. It's human nature to follow the top person as figurehead for an organisation as we or journalists don't have time or info to break down what each of the hundreds of employees contributed.

I actually get the impression from the media that he's a bit shifty and sales orientated but seems effective at getting stuff done.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#539

Post by simplyinfinity »

oblio wrote: post #534
Satam wrote: post #215

Disappointing outcome. The process has conclusively confirmed that OpenAI is in fact not open and that it is effectively controlled by Microsoft. Furthermore, the overwhelming groupthink shows there's clearly little critical thinking amongst OpenAI's employees either. It might not seem like the case right now, but I think the real disruption is just about to begin. OpenAI does not have in its DNA to win, they're too…

One thing I'm not sure I understand... what's OpenAI's business model? In my eyes, GPT & co is, just like Dropbox, just a feature. It's not a product. And just like Dropbox, in the end, what disruption? GPT will just be a checkbox for products others build. Cool tech, but not a full product. Of course, I'd love to be proven wrong.

AI As a Service ( AAaS ), Then the Marketplace of GPTs, and it will become the place to get your AI features from.

Re: We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam to return to OpenAI as CEO

#540

Post by ssnistfajen »

JumpCrisscross wrote: post #284
ryzvonusef wrote: post #22

> We have reached an agreement in principle for Sam Altman to return to OpenAI as CEO with a new initial board of Bret Taylor (Chair), Larry Summers, and Adam D'Angelo. > We are collaborating to figure out the details. Thank you so much for your patience through this. 1- So what was the point of this whole drama, and why couldn't you have settled like this adults? 2- Now what happens to Microsoft's role in all of thi…

> Twitter is still the best place to follow this and get updates This has been my single strongest takeaway from this saga: Twitter remains the centre of controversy. When shit hit the fan, Sam and Satya and Swisher took to Twitter. Not Threads. Not Bluesy. Twitter. (X.)

Bluesky still has gated signups at this point so I don't think it will ever be a viable alternative.

Threads had a rushed rollout which resulted in major feature gaps that disincentivized users from doing anything beyond creating their profiles.

Notable figures and organizations have little reason to fully migrate off Twitter unless Musk irreversibly breaks the site and even he is not stupid enough to do that (yet?). So with most of its content creators still in place, Twitter has no risk of following the path of Digg.

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