Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagSam Altman

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AI Productivity Hype: The New “Cargo Cult Science”?

Physicist Richard Feynman coined the term to describe imaginary scenarios for success based on simple misunderstanding of realities
The tech sector can push AI hype that resembles cargo cult science to its investors because of changes in media resulting from 30 years of the internet. Read More ›
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Group of youth absorbed in smartphone screens

LLMs Are Bad at Good Things, Good at Bad Things

LLMs may well become smarter than humans in the near future but not because these chatbots are becoming more intelligent
As people become attached to and dependent on their AI friends, they become less interested in their fellow humans. Read More ›
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Close up of an AI Artificial Intelligence GPU chip on motherboard. Concept of LLM, Large Language Models.

Large Language Models: A Lack-of-Progress Report

They will not be as powerful as either hoped or feared
LLMs are enormously expensive yet it is increasingly clear that they will never be reliable enough to be trusted in complex situations where mistakes are costly Read More ›
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a red squirrel sits on a tree in the forest and eats a nut

How Fruit Flies, Bees, and Squirrels Beat Artificial Intelligence

AI researchers assume they are on the path to intelligence, yet intelligence itself remains a mystery and many animals do better than current AI
Real intelligence is embodied. It exists within a living system, interacting dynamically with an environment. AI, on the other hand, is an abstraction. Read More ›
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3d rendering humanoid robot working on computer with earth planet hologram

The Hype and Limitations of Generative AI

On this episode, host Robert J. Marks concludes his conversation with economics professor and author Gary Smith about the hype and limitations of generative AI. Smith is the Fletcher Jones Professor of Economics at Ponoma College and a frequent contributor to Mind Matters News. In this portion of the conversation, Smith and Marks explore the hype around artificial general intelligence Read More ›

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Beautiful translucent soap bubble on dark background

Do High AI Startup Valuations Mean Great Success, or Desperation?

The answer is important but is not as clear as we might think. First, let's look at the background

Consider a recent news report: “Anthropic is in advanced talks to raise $2 billion in a deal that would value it at $60 billion, more than triple its valuation from a year ago” says the Wall Street Journal. Anthropic’s last venture capital (VC) funding round, less than two months ago, raised $2 billion, bringing its total funding to $9.6 billion. OpenAI had raised $6.6 billion, last October just a year after it raised $10 billion from Microsoft the previous year and just months after it also raised funds on the debt and secondary markets. So that $6.6 billion round was the largest VC funding round ever, a little larger than the $6 billion that Elon Musk’s generative AI startup, xAI, raised in 2023. Read More ›

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Dynamic cyber big data flow: blockchain networks intersecting with ai technology and digital communication. Vibrant 3d illustration of music waves and science research

Hinton and Hopfield Win Nobel Prize in Physics

Hinton warns against neglecting AI safety

Geoffrey E. Hinton, a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence responsible for helping develop “neural networks,” has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize alongside John J. Hopfield. The two scientists won the award for their groundbreaking work in machine intelligence, paving the way for a revolutionary new way to use computers. Hinton attracted attention just last year when he departed from Google and started warning the public about the potential dangers of new AI systems. He likened the AI revolution to the Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century, only this time, it won’t be our physical capacities that get trumped by the machine, but our intellects. The New York Times reports, “It will be comparable with the Industrial Revolution,” Read More ›

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Man reading in the park

Sam Altman Was on My Favorite Writing Podcast. His View on Storytelling Surprised Me.

When we read, we want to hear from a human about what it means to be human.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has garnered a fair share of criticism from the writing crowd for creating ChatGPT, a tool that on the surface seems to banish the need for human writers at all. However, Altman recently appeared on David Perell’s prominent writing podcast “How I Write” to talk about his own writing process, AI, and what he uses ChatGPT for. Altman and Perell talk about the importance of language for human communication, with Altman noting how he can’t imagine human life without language. AI, Altman says, is supposed to make language and the writing process “better.” In his view, that’s what computers have also sought to do: Create opportunities for humans to expand and deepen their capacities. But Read More ›

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Web Development Dreams Come True: Silhouetted Developers in Discussion with Company Logo

Are We Close to Peak AI Hype?

Outrageous statements are proliferating.
Sanity might be about ready to return to the market. Just maybe, we have reached peak hype. Read More ›
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Digital transformation, IoT, Internet of Things, Software technology development concept. Software engineer coding on laptop computer with innovation technology interface

Hype Distracts AI Engineers from Real Work

Who is going to solve AI's actual problems?
One reason there wasn’t an emphasis on reducing hallucinations is because the problem is hard. Some argue that hallucinations are “baked into" AI chatbots. Read More ›
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A live chat service for customer support. Modern illustration of a smartphone with a messenger interface and people on the page.

Scarlett Johansson vs. Sam Altman

OpenAI is trying to recreate a cautionary tale
Altman said her voice could be “comforting” to people. She declined at the time, and so was naturally surprised to find that the new program, which was just released, sounded eerily similar to her own voice. Read More ›
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The Two Visions of AI Technology

Competing views of AI's potential comprise a new struggle in Silicon Valley.
Perhaps the doomers have a dystopian and exaggerated fear of AI, but a discussion about the new technology’s potential harms still needs to be had. Read More ›
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3d white room with opened door. Brick wall

Is ChatGPT a Dead End?

There is still no known path to Artificial General Intelligence, including ChatGPT.
I have friends and colleagues who’ve gone almost religious about LLMs and conversational systems like ChatGPT. They tell me it’s true AGI. I disagree. Read More ›
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Chat with AI or Artificial Intelligence. Young businessman chatting with a smart AI or artificial intelligence using an artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI.

Okay, Never Mind. Sam Altman Returns to OpenAI

The OpenAI CEO is back after a brief absence.
OpenAI is creating technology that, in Altman's view, apparently needs to be fairly tightly regulated. And yet...he's responsible for creating it. Read More ›
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3d abstract render of blue glass cubes in grid forming data trend

Sam Altman Out at OpenAI, Microsoft Picks Him Up

Will Microsoft become the prime leader in the AI movement, and what will be the future of OpenAI?
According to the Wall Street Journal, Altman was "shocked" that he was ousted at OpenAI. But, he also fostered a close connection with Microsoft. Read More ›
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Doubtful young man thinking

Why Are We Obsessed With How Smart AI Is?

The people with the most specific knowledge should be assessing applications for AI and their risks.
The biggest lesson from giving university exams to ChatGPT is that students should be tested in other ways. Read More ›
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OpenAI CEO: Yes, AI Will Take Jobs Away

Technology has historically replaced human workers only to add new jobs. Is AI any different?

Sam Altman, the CEO of the AI company OpenAI, which was responsible for developing the Large Language Model ChatGPT, said in an interview with The Atlantic that AI will definitely be taking some jobs away, striking a blow to some AI optimists who claim that this won’t be the case. According to Business Insider, “A lot of people working on AI pretend that it’s only going to be good; it’s only going to be a supplement; no one is ever going to be replaced,” he said. “Jobs are definitely going to go away, full stop.” –ChatGPT Creator Sam Altman Says ‘Jobs Are Definitely Going to Go Away’ (businessinsider.com) While certain jobs might go the wayside, it’s possible AI could introduce Read More ›

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Accounting.

OpenAI is Now Under Investigation

The Federal Trade Commission wants to know how OpenAI gets their data and how much harm ChatGPT could have

The Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C.) sent a letter to OpenAI, the San Fransisco company responsible for creating ChatGPT, the Large Language Model that captured the world’s imagination in November of 2022. Per the New York Times, the F.T.C. is investigating the AI company’s methods of data acquisition and also plans on measuring the potential harms of AI on society, citing concerns over false information and job replacement. Cecilia Kang and Cade Metz report: In a 20-page letter sent to the San Francisco company this week, the agency said it was also looking into OpenAI’s security practices. The F.T.C. asked the company dozens of questions in its letter, including how the start-up trains its A.I. models and treats personal data. The Read More ›

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Smartphone screen with smart home technologies on a blue backdrop. Internet of things isometric conceptual image. Digital Residence utilizing a mobile phone's fingerprint to get access to IOT systems

The LLM Deep Fake—Follow the Money

Hype sells. Just look at what's happening with AI

Large language models (LLMs) are far more impressive now than they were just a few months or a year ago. Compare these exchanges I had with GPT-3 in June 2022 and with ChatGPT two days ago: Gary:          Can I improve my test scores if I study after taking the test? GPT-3:        That’s a good question. I’m not sure if you can improve your test scores by studying after taking the test, but it couldn’t hurt to try! ChatGPT:   Studying after taking a test is unlikely to directly improve your scores on that particular test since the test has already been completed. Once a test is finished, the opportunity to answer questions and provide responses has passed. However, studying after taking Read More ›

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Empty vintage congress hall with seats and microphones

“A Printing Press Moment” in History

AI should be regulated lest it do real harm in the world, said OpenAI CEO

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the company at the forefront of artificial intelligence development in recent months, testified before lawmakers last week on the state of AI, its potential, and the dangers of its misuse. Despite Altman’s overall optimism regarding AI, calling it a “printing press moment,” he called for lawmakers to regulate it to keep it from causing legitimate harm in the world. Julia Zorthian, writer at Times and owner of the coolest last name in the world, reports, Joining Altman in testifying before the committee were two other AI experts, professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University Gary Marcus and IBM Chief Privacy & Trust Officer Christina Montgomery. The three witnesses supported governance of AI Read More ›