Sam Altman, the boss of OpenAI, during a conference on the future of artificial intelligence, during the Apec summit, on November 16, 2023 in San Francisco, California (AFP/ANDREW CABALLERO -REYNOLDS)
“I have a lot of empathy for people’s feelings, whatever their feelings” about ChatGPT, Sam Altman, the boss of OpenAI who launched a technological revolution with this platform, told AFP on Thursday. generative artificial intelligence (AI) a year ago.
The Silicon Valley star had just participated in a conference with senior officials from Google and Meta (Facebook, Instagram) on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, which is being held in San Francisco this week.
Despite their success, ChatGPT and other interfaces capable of producing texts, images and sounds upon simple request also raise serious concerns about the dangers for democracy (massive disinformation) or employment (replaced professions), in particular.
“We really hope that these tools will be adopted by creators and that they will help them,” continued Sam Altman about artists angry with OpenAI applications.
Areas of application of AI research (AFP/Valentin RAKOVSKY, Paz PIZARRO)
“Of course, we will have to find an economic model that works,” he admitted. “And we’re going to need to allow people to decide whether they want to be in it or not.”
Artists, coders and writers (including George RR Martin, the author of the “Game of Thrones” saga) filed a complaint this year against OpenAI and competitors of the Californian start-up, accusing them of having used their works to create their interfaces in disregard of their copyright, without consent or remuneration.
In Hollywood, the historic strike of screenwriters and actors which has just ended focused in particular on their fears that generative AI would be used to exploit them.
– China and AI –
Sam Altman doesn’t just have enemies. At the exit of the conference room, Apec participants who are fans of the entrepreneur crowd him to take selfies with him.
Sam Altman, the boss of OpenAI, during a conference on the future of artificial intelligence, during the Apec summit, on November 16, 2023 in San Francisco, California (AFP/ANDREW CABALLERO -REYNOLDS)
Asked about the uses of AI in China, he says he “does not know much about how China uses AI”.
“This is outside my area of expertise,” he continued.
The Apec summit was marked by rivalry between the United States and China, engaged in fierce economic and political competition.
And for many American organizations, the issue concerns the social model, while even President Joe Biden admits to considering the Chinese leader as a “dictator”.
Beijing uses AI for population surveillance purposes, in particular through facial recognition.
In April, authorities said generative AI tools would be inspected and should “reflect core socialist values and not contain (material relating to) the subversion of state power.”
– American election –
The regulation of AI is also debated in the European and American parliaments, but with the objective that it is not used to discriminate, manipulate or defraud.
OpenAI and other American AI giants are calling for new rules, as long as they “do not slow down some of the incredible progress that is happening,” said Sam Altman.
AI: ever more complex models (AFP/Julia Han JANICKI, Laurence SAUBADU)
The American government is particularly concerned about the role that generative AI will play during the 2024 electoral campaign.
Technology facilitates the creation of hyperrealistic montages (deepfake) and false content, and therefore disinformation campaigns.
“There is a lot of unknown, we do not yet know what generative AI is capable of in terms of video in particular,” admitted Sam Altman during the conference.
“But it’s going to happen fast and furious in an election year and we’re going to have to monitor it closely to respond as it happens.”
© 2023 AFP
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