AI agents to join workforce in 2025: OpenAI CEO
What's the story
OpenAI is now turning its attention toward the development of 'superintelligence,' as revealed by CEO Sam Altman in his latest blog post.
He expressed confidence in the company's ability to build artificial general intelligence (AGI), as they have traditionally understood it.
"We are beginning to turn our aim beyond that, to superintelligence in the true sense of the word. We love our current products, but we are here for the glorious future. With superintelligence, we can do anything else."
Future outlook
Altman envisions a future with superintelligent tools
Altman envisions a future where superintelligent tools could drastically speed up scientific discovery and innovation.
He thinks these advancements could surpass human capabilities, possibly resulting in an increase in abundance and prosperity.
AGI is commonly used to refer to highly autonomous systems that outperform humans at most economically valuable work.
Economic impact
AGI and its economic implications
OpenAI and Microsoft, its close collaborator and investor, have an economic interpretation of AGI. They define it as AI systems capable of generating at least $100 billion in profits.
Altman hinted that AI agents might "join the workforce" this year, significantly altering companies' output.
"This sounds like science fiction right now, and somewhat crazy to even talk about it. That's alright—we've been there before and we're OK with being there again," wrote Altman.
Safety measures
Journey toward superintelligence and safety concerns
As OpenAI pivots its focus to superintelligence, concerns are raised about the safety of such advanced systems.
The company has previously admitted that a smooth transition to a world with superintelligence isn't guaranteed.
In a July 2023 blog post, it admitted to lacking a solution for controlling potentially rogue superintelligent AI.
Since then, AI safety-focused teams have been disbanded and several safety-focused researchers have left the firm.