Sam Altman was fired after staff researchers raised concerns about superintelligence.
Prior to now-reinstalled OpenAI CEO Sam Altman getting fired, a group of staff researchers raised concerns with the board of directors about a significant artificial intelligence breakthrough that they claimed posed a potential threat to humanity, according to two individuals familiar with the situation who spoke to Reuters.
The letter and the undisclosed AI algorithm, not previously disclosed, played a pivotal role in the board's decision to remove Altman, a prominent figure in generative AI, according to the same sources.
More than 700 employees had reportedly expressed intentions to resign and join supporter Microsoft in solidarity with Altman, who was dismissed, prior to his return on Tuesday.
The letter was highlighted as one of several issues cited by the board that contributed to Altman's termination, according to the sources. Reuters was unable to obtain a copy of the letter, and requests for comment from the researchers who penned it went unanswered. OpenAI chose not to provide a statement on the matter.
As per one of the insiders, Mira Murati, a longstanding executive, discussed the project named Q* with employees on Wednesday, revealing that a letter had been dispatched to the board before the weekend's unfolding events.
Subsequent to the story's release, an OpenAI spokesperson clarified that Murati informed employees about the content of media reports but refrained from verifying the accuracy of the information.
Advancements were reportedly made on Q* (pronounced Q-Star), a project internally perceived by some as a potential breakthrough in OpenAI's quest for superintelligence, also known as artificial general intelligence (AGI), according to information shared with Reuters. OpenAI defines AGI as artificial intelligence systems surpassing human intelligence.
In response to the revelations, Elon Musk quipped "Q*Anon" on X.
"The maker of ChatGPT had made progress on Q* (pronounced Q-Star), which some internally believe could be a breakthrough in the startup's search for superintelligence, also known as artificial general intelligence (AGI), one of the people told Reuters. OpenAI defines AGI as AI systems that are smarter than humans" the Reuters report states.
"Given vast computing resources, the new model was able to solve certain mathematical problems, the person said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the company. Though only performing math on the level of grade-school students, acing such tests made researchers very optimistic about Q*’s future success, the source said" it continues.
Concerns have been raise about AGI's ability to generalize, learn and comprehend, leading to superintelligence that may threaten humanity.
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