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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

#941

Post by 38321003thrw »

38321003thrw wrote: post #886
9dev wrote: post #288

I don’t quite buy your Cyberpunk utopia where the Megacorp finally rids us of those pesky ethics qualms (or ”shackles“, as you phrased it.) Microsoft can now proceed without the guidance of a council that actually has humanities interests in mind, not only those of Microsoft shareholders. I don’t know whether all that caution will turn out to have been necessary, but I guess we’re just gleefully heading into whatever…

> It’s a bit tragic that Ilya and company ... There must be an Aesop’s fable that sheds light on the “tragedy”. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/923989-if-you-choose-bad-co... Or maybe this one? (Ape seems to map to Microsoft, or possibly a hat tip to Balmer ..) The fable is of the Two Travellers and the Apes. Two men, one who always spoke the truth and the other who told nothing but lies, were traveling together and…

Plot twist:

https://nitter.net/ilyasut/status/1726590052392956028

“I deeply regret my participation in the board's actions. I never intended to harm OpenAI. I love everything we've built together and I will do everything I can to reunite the company.”

Nov 20, 2023 · 1:15 PM UTC - Ilya S.

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

#942

Post by alemanek »

peteradio wrote: post #935

Lawsuit incoming? What is the expectation that these guys aren't attempting IP transfer. My bet is that OpenAI heard of this MSFT poach, Sam et al were not forthright and meanwhile were becoming very interested in the engineering details.

Its far more likely that Microsoft is just trying to salvage their investment in the most direct way possible. It doesn’t make sense for them to take this risk absent recent events.

They tried pressuring the board according to the rumors over the weekend. That didn’t work; now they are providing a home for the people that were going to leave OpenAI over this.

If they are smart they will honor the 10B deal as well and continue funding OpenAI. This way they will get the benefit of both teams and maybe even a bit more now that they will be competing.

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

#943

Post by denton-scratch »

staunton wrote: post #866
denton-scratch wrote: post #822

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a council that actually has humanities interests in mind It's interesting that "Effective Altruism" enthusiasts all seem to be mega-rich grifters.

I bet you can only name one...

You lose the bet. I can name three off the top of my head.

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

#944

Post by Havoc »

ALittleLight wrote: post #654
Havoc wrote: post #640

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could have been worse. Could have been google. This way at least there are two big dogs

Microsoft and OpenAI? Microsoft and Anthropic?

I don’t even care who just as long as it’s two. But yeah one google camp one Microsoft camp.

With a bit of luck Amazon too. This space just really can’t become a monopoly

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

#945

Post by johannes1234321 »

gwd wrote: post #880
sanderjd wrote: post #855

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These concerns are in the hands of voters and their representatives in governments now, and really, they always were. A single private organization was never going to be able to solve the coordination problem of balancing progress in a technology against its impact on society. Indeed, I think trying to do it that way increases the risk that the single private organization captures its regulators and ends up without e…

> These concerns are in the hands of voters and their representatives in governments now, and really, they always were. A single private organization was never going to be able to solve the coordination problem of balancing progress in a technology against its impact on society. Um, have you heard of lead additives to gasoline? CFCs? Asbestos? Smoking? History is littered with complete failures of governments to appr…

> have you heard of lead additives to gasoline? CFCs? Asbestos? Smoking? History is littered with complete failures of governments to appropriately regulate new technology

Most of those problems have been solved or at least been reduced by regulation. Regulators however aren't all knowing gods and one finds out about risks and problems only later, but except for smoking regulators have covered those aspects (and anti-smoking laws become stricter, generally, depending on country, regularly, but it's a cultural habit older than most states ...)

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

#946

Post by meigwilym »

imgabe wrote: post #340
9dev wrote: post #288

I don’t quite buy your Cyberpunk utopia where the Megacorp finally rids us of those pesky ethics qualms (or ”shackles“, as you phrased it.) Microsoft can now proceed without the guidance of a council that actually has humanities interests in mind, not only those of Microsoft shareholders. I don’t know whether all that caution will turn out to have been necessary, but I guess we’re just gleefully heading into whatever…

You might notice that Microsoft shareholders are also part of humanity and destroying humanity would be highly detrimental to Microsoft's profits, so maybe their interests are not as misaligned as you think. I am always bemused by how people assume any corporate interest is automatically a cartoon supervillain who wants to destroy the entire world just because.

Capital punishment exists in many countries, but still fails to dissuade many people of murder.

It's not about wanting to destroy the world, but short term greed whose consequences destroy the world.

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

#947

Post by devnullbrain »

DavidKarlas wrote: post #495
BSDobelix wrote: post #222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honest question, why is he the best CEO?

I will never forget something I read in his "Hit Refresh" book(I'm Microsoft employee)... He wrote something along the lines, Office should write best app for iPhone, Mac or even Linux if that helps them grow. They should not help Windows sell Windows copies by doing better Office features on Windows, it is up to Windows team to make Windows best operating system, it should not rely and keep back Office team... This…

'eat your own lunch before someone else does'

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

#948

Post by mandeepj »

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…

> Microsoft would have to write-off its whole $10B (or more?) investment in OpenAI

Not sure why you didn’t research before saying that! It was $10B committed and not a cash handover of that amount. Also, majority of that’s Azure credits

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

#949

Post by JKCalhoun »

9dev wrote: post #288

I don’t quite buy your Cyberpunk utopia where the Megacorp finally rids us of those pesky ethics qualms (or ”shackles“, as you phrased it.) Microsoft can now proceed without the guidance of a council that actually has humanities interests in mind, not only those of Microsoft shareholders. I don’t know whether all that caution will turn out to have been necessary, but I guess we’re just gleefully heading into whatever…

When I read that Sam and Greg joined Microsoft I assume the two had already been in talks with Microsoft for some time now.

I assumed it was their entertaining offers from Microsoft that got Sam the ax from the OpenAI board.

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

#950

Post by peteradio »

alemanek wrote: post #942
peteradio wrote: post #935

Lawsuit incoming? What is the expectation that these guys aren't attempting IP transfer. My bet is that OpenAI heard of this MSFT poach, Sam et al were not forthright and meanwhile were becoming very interested in the engineering details.

Its far more likely that Microsoft is just trying to salvage their investment in the most direct way possible. It doesn’t make sense for them to take this risk absent recent events. They tried pressuring the board according to the rumors over the weekend. That didn’t work; now they are providing a home for the people that were going to leave OpenAI over this. If they are smart they will honor the 10B deal as well and…

MSFT triggered the situation at hand. Sure it may be to salvage their 10B investment but that doesn't preclude funny business.
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