Nov 24, 2023 03:38 PM
(This post was last modified: Nov 24, 2023 03:40 PM by C C.)
https://gizmodo.com/ai-safety-openai-sam...1851038439
INTRO: As far as the tech industry goes, it’s hard to say whether there’s ever been a more shocking series of events than the ones that took place over the last several days. The palace intrigue and boardroom drama of Sam Altman’s ousting by the OpenAI board (and his victorious reinstatement earlier today) will doubtlessly go down in history as one of the most explosive episodes to ever befall Silicon Valley. That said, the long-term fallout from this gripping incident is bound to be a lot less enjoyable than the initial spectacle of it.
The “coup,” as many have referred to it, has largely been attributed to an ideological rift between Sam and the OpenAI board over the pace of technological development at the company. So, this narrative goes, the board, which is supposed to have ultimate say over the direction of the organization, was concerned about the rate at which Altman was pushing to commercialize the technology, and decided to eject him with extreme prejudice. Altman, who was subsequently backed by OpenAI’s powerful partner and funder, Microsoft, as well as a majority of the startup’s staff, subsequently led a counter-coup, pushing out the traitors and re-instating himself as the leader of the company.
So much of the drama of the episode seems to revolve around this argument between Altman and the board over “AI safety.” Indeed, this fraught chapter in the company’s history seems like a flare up of OpenAI’s two opposing personalities—one based around research and responsible technological development, and the other based around making shitloads of money. One side decidedly overpowered the other (hint: it was the money side).
Other writers have already offered break downs about how OpenAI’s unique organizational structure seems to have set it on a collision course with itself. Maybe you’ve seen the startup’s org chart floating around the web but, in case you haven’t, here’s a quick recap: Unlike pretty much every other technology business that exists, OpenAI is actually a non-profit, governed wholly by its board, that operates and controls a for-profit company. This design is supposed to prioritize the organization’s mission of pursuing the public good over money. OpenAI’s own self-description promotes this idealistic notion—that it’s main aim is to make the world a better place, not make money:
We designed OpenAI’s structure—a partnership between our original Nonprofit and a new capped profit arm—as a chassis for OpenAI’s mission: to build artificial general intelligence (AGI) that is safe and benefits all of humanity.
Indeed, the board’s charter owes its allegiance to “humanity,” not to its shareholders. So, despite the fact that Microsoft has poured a megaton of money and resources into OpenAI, the startup’s board is still (hypothetically) supposed to have final say over what happens with its products and technology. That said, the company part of the organization is reported to be worth tens of billions of dollars. As many have already noted, the organization’s ethical mission seems to have come directly into conflict with the economic interests of those who had invested in the organization. As per usual, the money won... (MORE - missing details)
RELATED (scivillage): OpenAI drama: Biggest threat in the history of humanity? (Or: why should I care?)
INTRO: As far as the tech industry goes, it’s hard to say whether there’s ever been a more shocking series of events than the ones that took place over the last several days. The palace intrigue and boardroom drama of Sam Altman’s ousting by the OpenAI board (and his victorious reinstatement earlier today) will doubtlessly go down in history as one of the most explosive episodes to ever befall Silicon Valley. That said, the long-term fallout from this gripping incident is bound to be a lot less enjoyable than the initial spectacle of it.
The “coup,” as many have referred to it, has largely been attributed to an ideological rift between Sam and the OpenAI board over the pace of technological development at the company. So, this narrative goes, the board, which is supposed to have ultimate say over the direction of the organization, was concerned about the rate at which Altman was pushing to commercialize the technology, and decided to eject him with extreme prejudice. Altman, who was subsequently backed by OpenAI’s powerful partner and funder, Microsoft, as well as a majority of the startup’s staff, subsequently led a counter-coup, pushing out the traitors and re-instating himself as the leader of the company.
So much of the drama of the episode seems to revolve around this argument between Altman and the board over “AI safety.” Indeed, this fraught chapter in the company’s history seems like a flare up of OpenAI’s two opposing personalities—one based around research and responsible technological development, and the other based around making shitloads of money. One side decidedly overpowered the other (hint: it was the money side).
Other writers have already offered break downs about how OpenAI’s unique organizational structure seems to have set it on a collision course with itself. Maybe you’ve seen the startup’s org chart floating around the web but, in case you haven’t, here’s a quick recap: Unlike pretty much every other technology business that exists, OpenAI is actually a non-profit, governed wholly by its board, that operates and controls a for-profit company. This design is supposed to prioritize the organization’s mission of pursuing the public good over money. OpenAI’s own self-description promotes this idealistic notion—that it’s main aim is to make the world a better place, not make money:
We designed OpenAI’s structure—a partnership between our original Nonprofit and a new capped profit arm—as a chassis for OpenAI’s mission: to build artificial general intelligence (AGI) that is safe and benefits all of humanity.
Indeed, the board’s charter owes its allegiance to “humanity,” not to its shareholders. So, despite the fact that Microsoft has poured a megaton of money and resources into OpenAI, the startup’s board is still (hypothetically) supposed to have final say over what happens with its products and technology. That said, the company part of the organization is reported to be worth tens of billions of dollars. As many have already noted, the organization’s ethical mission seems to have come directly into conflict with the economic interests of those who had invested in the organization. As per usual, the money won... (MORE - missing details)
RELATED (scivillage): OpenAI drama: Biggest threat in the history of humanity? (Or: why should I care?)