ALBAWABA – Rumor has it reinstated OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was fired because he was close to a breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence (AI), and that experts warned his new powerful discovery could threaten humanity.
Unnamed sources told Reuters Altman’s AI was getting too powerful and was growing unchecked, as he rushed towards the commercialization of AI products and services.
Rumor has it that his attitude, discrediting the views that AI actually poses a threat to humanity, is the reason why the board of directors booted him in the first place.
Rumor has it Altman developed a game-changing AI algorithm
The algorithm itself and its ground-breaking capacities were not reported by any of the main news outlets or agencies, but Reuters confirmed the board received a letter of warning on the matter.
Altman had made a breakthrough that was going to change the AI field drastically, the letter warned, adding that it actually constitutes a threat to humanity.
Rumor has it Altman's AI is growing too powerful and that he is letting it go unchecked- Shutterstock
Having received this letter just days before Altman was removed from office, the board’s appointment of former Twitch CEO and effective altruist Emmitt Shear supports the ‘AI threat to humanity’ narrative.
Notably, Shear shares the board's view that AI, if left unchecked, will grow to pose such a threat, one way or another, which is why he was hired in Altman’s stead.
While that may be the case, the board has reaffirmed that the removal of now-reinstated OpenAI CEO Altman was unrelated to “malfeasance” or “safety”, according to Bloomberg.
OpenAI CEO has too many AI-related side gigs
The New York-based news agency argues an entirely different rationale behind Altman’s removal. Citing unnamed sources as well, Bloomberg reported the reason is because Altman had too many AI-related side projects going.
In the months before his ouster, Altman was raising billions from some of the world’s largest investors for a new chip venture, codenamed Tigris, Bloomberg’s privy sources confirmed.
The idea behind Tigris is to start an AI-focused chipmaking company that could produce semiconductors to compete against those from Nvidia Corp., according to Bloomberg.
Rumor has it Altman's breakthrough is a n AI game changer - Shutterstock
He also has been looking to raise money for an AI-focused hardware device that he’s been developing with former Apple design chief Jony Ive.
Rumor has it: OpenAI CEO Altman will not be allowed to pursue more side gigs
Nothing was officially said about his side projects, but Bloomberg confirmed they will be addressed by the board of directors upon his effective return.
“Sam has got broad interests and broad investments,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said.
Microsoft, whose AI strategy hinges on the OpenAI’s technology, will likely have representation on the new board, a source told Bloomberg.
Although Altman agreed not to take a board seat initially in order to get the deal done, he too will probably join the board eventually, another source confirmed.
Altman also agreed to an internal investigation into the conduct that led to his dismissal, the agency’s sources said. OpenAI’s earlier board members included D’Angelo, OpenAI co-founder and Chief Scientist Ilya Sutskever, Tasha McCauley of GeoSim Systems, and Helen Toner, director at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.
