OpenAI Q-Star became the focal point of a groundbreaking revelation in the AI industry, as per a recent Reuters report. In a bold move preceding CEO Sam Altman’s temporary departure, a group of the company’s researchers penned a crucial letter to the board of directors. This correspondence, not previously disclosed, raised alarms about an AI development potent enough to pose a risk to humanity. Altman, a leading figure in the generative AI arena, faced the board’s decision to remove him from his role, a move that was influenced by this letter among other factors.
In the backdrop of these dramatic events, over 700 employees were on the brink of resigning, considering a shift to Microsoft, a key supporter, in a show of unity with Altman. The letter was one of several reasons contributing to the board’s decision to dismiss Altman, including apprehensions about prematurely commercializing AI advancements without fully grasping their implications. Efforts to obtain the letter for review were unsuccessful, and the authors did not respond to inquiries for further information.
JUST IN: Sam Altman's firing was driven by OpenAI's secret breakthrough AI named Q* (possibly Q-learning).
Plus, huge developments in AI today from Inflection AI, Google Bard, Neuralink, ElevenLabs, screenshot-to-code, and 9 new AI tools.
Here's EVERYTHING you need to know:
— Rowan Cheung (@rowancheung) November 23, 2023
What do we know about OpenAI Q-Star?
Subsequent to inquiries from Reuters, OpenAI internally acknowledged the existence of a project named “Q*” and the aforementioned letter to the board, although the company refrained from public comment. This internal acknowledgment, conveyed through a message from Mira Murati, a seasoned executive at OpenAI, was designed to prepare staff for potential media coverage, without verifying the reports’ specifics.
Inside the corridors of OpenAI, there’s a growing belief that Q* (pronounced Q-Star) represents a significant leap in their quest to achieve artificial general intelligence (AGI). AGI, as defined by OpenAI, refers to autonomous systems capable of outperforming humans in most economically significant tasks. A source, preferring anonymity due to unauthorized disclosure, revealed that with substantial computing power, this new model has shown prowess in solving specific mathematical challenges, albeit at a level comparable to elementary school students. The success in these initial mathematical tasks has sparked considerable optimism among researchers about the potential capabilities of Q-Star.
Can Q-Star AI hit AGI jackpot?
Mathematics is currently at the forefront of generative AI development. While existing AI excels in language-based tasks through predicting the next word, its responses can vary. However, mastering mathematical problems, which have definitive answers, indicates a move towards AI with reasoning skills comparable to human intelligence. This could significantly benefit areas like novel scientific research.
In their letter, OpenAI researchers pointed out both the remarkable capabilities of AI and its potential risks. The specifics of the safety concerns were not detailed, but the topic of highly intelligent machines posing a threat to humanity has been a long-standing debate in computer science circles.
Additionally, OpenAI’s “AI scientist” team, a fusion of the “Code Gen” and “Math Gen” teams, is working on optimizing AI models to improve reasoning and potentially undertake scientific work, marking a significant step in AI development.
Sam Altman played a key role in catapulting ChatGPT to unprecedented success, making it one of the fastest-growing software applications ever. His leadership was instrumental in securing significant investments and computing resources from Microsoft, crucial steps towards achieving AGI.
Recently, Altman unveiled several new tools at a demonstration and hinted at imminent breakthroughs in AGI at a summit in San Francisco. “Four times in OpenAI’s history, with the latest instance occurring just weeks ago, I’ve experienced the thrill of pushing back the veil of ignorance and advancing the frontier of discovery. Being part of such moments is the professional honor of a lifetime,” he shared at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Altman was dismissed from his position by the board the following day. OpenAI’s dev forum is already discussing rumors about Q-Star, but there’s nothing definitive yet.
Featured image credit: Andrew Neel/Unsplash
