Microsoft’s president dismissed the notion of rapidly achieving super-intelligent artificial intelligence (AI) within the next 12 months, emphasizing that such advancements could take decades. This comes in response to recent upheaval at OpenAI, where cofounder Sam Altman was briefly removed as CEO, reportedly following concerns raised by researchers about a potentially risky discovery.
The internal project, known as Q* (pronounced Q-Star), was believed to be a significant development in OpenAI’s pursuit of artificial general intelligence (AGI), defined as autonomous systems surpassing humans in economically valuable tasks.
Brad Smith, Microsoft’s president, refuted claims of a dangerous breakthrough during a conversation with reporters in Britain. He emphasized that the likelihood of achieving AGI, where computers surpass human capabilities, within the next 12 months is nonexistent. Smith acknowledged that the timeline for such advancements is likely to span years, if not decades, but underscored the importance of prioritizing safety precautions now.
Sources indicated that the warning to OpenAI’s board was one factor contributing to Altman’s temporary removal, alongside broader concerns about commercializing advancements without adequately assessing their risks.
Addressing Altman’s reinstatement, Smith stated that the divergence between the board and others wasn’t fundamentally centered on concerns about a dangerous discovery. Instead, he stressed the need for safety measures in AI systems controlling critical infrastructure, comparing them to safety brakes in elevators, circuit breakers for electricity, or emergency brakes for buses. According to Smith, implementing such safety measures ensures that AI systems remain under human control at all times.
