Hello,

It is somewhat staggering to think about how much Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already been integrated into our society in the short few years since large language models emerged on the mainstream. A recently developing story has prompted us to think back to where it all started.

 

In 2015, a consortium of entrepreneurs, which included Sam Altman and Elon Musk (heard of them?), founded OpenAI, a non-profit organisation aiming to “advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return”.

 

Cracks in this idealistic vision soon began to show. In 2018, Altman and Musk first butted heads, reportedly engaging in a shouting match that resulted in Musk storming out of OpenAI’s office for good. In the years that followed, OpenAI released the groundbreaking ChatGPT platform, and announced plans to abandon its non-profit model to become a commercial for-profit company. This shift caused an exodus of high-profile employees, and Musk to sue the company he co-founded, alleging it had misled investors and donors.

 

It seems that Musk has gotten the last laugh (for now?), after Altman announced on Monday that OpenAI would scrap its plans to become a for-profit business. This saga exemplifies the tentative line that tech companies are skirting between responsibility and profitability, a dynamic that is likely to become more precarious as the capabilities of AI advance.

 

As always, if you wish to discuss anything in further detail, please do get in touch.