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Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and others to join Microsoft

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Re: Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and others to join Microsoft

#681

Post by arthur_sav »

croes wrote: post #617
shubhamjain wrote: post #458

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not claiming how right or wrong the final outcome would be, but owning the technology with a clear "for-profit" objective is definitely a better structure for Microsoft and for Sam Altman as well (considering, his plans for the future). I have no opinion on AI risk. I just think that a super valuable technology under a non-profit objective was simply an untenable structure, regardless of potential threats.

Better for MS and Altman, that's exactly. AI should benefit mankind, not corporate profit.

Unless "humanity" funds this effort, corporate profits will be the main driving force.

Re: Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and others to join Microsoft

#682

Post by hef19898 »

DebtDeflation wrote: post #664
shubhamjain wrote: post #99

Have to give it to Satya. There's a thin possibility that Microsoft would have to write-off its whole $10B (or more?) investment in OpenAI, but that isn't Satya's focus. The focus is on what he can do next. Maybe, recruit the most formidable AI team in the world, removed from the shackles of an awkward non-profit owning a for-profit company? Give enough (cash) incentives and most of OpenAI employees would have no qua…

> possibility that Microsoft would have to write-off its whole $10B There was an article that came out over the weekend that stated that only a small part of that $10B investment was in cash, the vast majority is cloud GPU credits, and that it has a long time horizon with only a relatively small fraction having been consumed to date. So, if MSFT were to develop their own GPT4 model in house over the next year or so t…

Depends on the term sheet behind that. That, and how MS is accounting for its minority stake in OpenAI. If they have to write off the vakue, it doesn't how they paid for it.

Re: Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and others to join Microsoft

#683

Post by jaredklewis »

zoogeny wrote: post #190

All of the naysayers here seem convinced this is Altman and Microsoft looking to destroy OpenAI. Normally I am the cynic but this time I’m seeing a potential win-win here. Altman uses his talent to recruit and drive forward a brilliant product focused AI. OpenAI gets to refocus on deep research and safety. Put aside cynicism and consider Nadella is looking to create the best of all worlds for all parties. This might…

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that going forward there won’t be much investor interest in OpenAI.

And if you separate out the products from OpenAI, that leaves the question of how an organization with extremely high compute and human capital costs can sustain itself.

Can OpenAI find more billionaire benefactors to support it so that it can return to its old operating model?

Re: Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and others to join Microsoft

#684

Post by DalasNoin »

zoogeny wrote: post #190

All of the naysayers here seem convinced this is Altman and Microsoft looking to destroy OpenAI. Normally I am the cynic but this time I’m seeing a potential win-win here. Altman uses his talent to recruit and drive forward a brilliant product focused AI. OpenAI gets to refocus on deep research and safety. Put aside cynicism and consider Nadella is looking to create the best of all worlds for all parties. This might…

Reading the statement, I am doubtful that Microsoft and OpenAI can continue their business relationship. I think the most aggressive part of this is the "[they will be joining] together with colleagues" sub sentence. He is basically openly poaching the employees of a company that he supposedly has a very close cooperation with. This situation seems especially difficult since Microsoft basically houses all of openai's infrastructure. How can they continue a trust-based relationship like this?

Re: Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and others to join Microsoft

#685

Post by layer8 »

abm53 wrote: post #674
TerrifiedMouse wrote: post #636

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It’s a bit tragic that Ilya and company achieved the exact opposite of what they intended apparently, by driving those they attempted to slow down into the arms of people with more money and less morals. Well. If they didn’t fire him, Altman will just continue to run hog wild over their charter. In that sense they lose either way. At least this way, OpenAI can continue to operate independently instead of being Micr…

There is a third option where he stayed, they managed to find a compromise, and in so doing kept their influence in the space to a large extent.

I'm pretty sure they tried that before firing him.

Re: Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and others to join Microsoft

#688

Post by benkarst »

shubhamjain wrote: post #99

Have to give it to Satya. There's a thin possibility that Microsoft would have to write-off its whole $10B (or more?) investment in OpenAI, but that isn't Satya's focus. The focus is on what he can do next. Maybe, recruit the most formidable AI team in the world, removed from the shackles of an awkward non-profit owning a for-profit company? Give enough (cash) incentives and most of OpenAI employees would have no qua…

Side note, the 10B investment is less than a half a percent of MSFT's 2.75T market cap.

Re: Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and others to join Microsoft

#689

Post by irthomasthomas »

sangnoir wrote: post #507
jjcm wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Satya probably offered the one resource they couldn’t buy at the scale/speed they need: GPUs. Both time on Azure’s cloud, as well as promise of some of the first Azure Maia 100 and Cobalt 100 chips.

Satya probably offered the one resource they couldn’t buy at the scale/speed they need: OpenAI models & future work. Altman wouldn't have had (legal) access to these anywhere else, and Microsoft wouldn't have had Sam Altman controlling OpenAI tech in any other arrangement. This arrangement may be the best for all involved: Microsoft gets it's LLM geegaws based on OpenAI tech, Altman gets to build GPT marketplaces and…

I bet there was no hardware side-gig. More likely it was a ruse to trigger the push from openai, so they can exfiltrate gpt5 to MS. Openai won't exist soon, since they rely on vouchers from MS to run. I can't see MS being a very forgiving partner, after being publicly blindsided, can you?

Re: Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and others to join Microsoft

#690

Post by selimthegrim »

belter wrote: post #586
upwardbound wrote: post #561

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's a misconception that Microsoft has less morals. Their Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Eric Horvitz, was one of the key people behind America's 2022 nuclear weapons policy update which states that we will always maintain a human in the loop for nuclear weapons employment. (i.e., systems like WOPR are now forbidden under US policy.) Here is the full excerpt of the part of the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review whic…

Are you seriously arguing for Microsoft morals...On the basis of a totally logical, from a self-preserving prespective, statement on Nuclear Weapons, from a Scientific Advisor with no involvement on the day to day run of their business? What is next? A statement on Oracle kindness, based on Larry Ellison appreciation of Japanese gardens?

Well, there was a Shogunworld part to Westworld.
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