A growing wave of departures from OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence research organization, is drawing attention to concerns about the company's approach to AI safety. Jan Reich, the former leader of OpenAI's “Super Alignment” team dedicated to aligning artificial intelligence with human values, resigned Friday, citing disagreements with the company's priorities. In a series of posts on X, he accused OpenAI of prioritizing product development over the serious issue of AI safety.
“Over the past few years, safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products,” Reich wrote. “We are incredibly long overdue in taking the implications of AGI seriously.”
Reike's resignation comes shortly after another key member of the Super Alignment team, Ilya Satskeva, also resigned. Both executives have spearheaded efforts to address the potential risks of artificial general intelligence (AGI), a hypothetical future AI with capabilities exceeding human intelligence.
The departures have set off alarms among AI safety experts and raised concerns about a potential change in OpenAI's focus. Wired reported that the company disbanded his AI risk team and absorbed the researchers into other departments.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged Reich's concerns, reiterated the company's commitment to safety, and thanked him for his contributions. But Altman's relief comes amid a spate of high-profile departures, including former vice president of people Diane Yun and director of nonprofit and strategic initiatives Chris Clark.
OpenAI's recent transformation has raised questions about the company's priorities and ability to effectively manage the ethical and social implications of powerful AI technology. As OpenAI continues to develop increasingly sophisticated AI systems like GPT-4, concerns are growing over the potential impact on humanity, with some experts saying the company is truly prioritizing safety. I doubt whether there is.
