On that trip, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, laid out his vision for an AI-powered future in no uncertain terms. He focused on how this future would disrupt whole job professions and change the way government pays for outcomes. Speaking at our Capital Framework for Large Banks conference hosted by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Altman offered a glimpse into his views on what AI will mean for society and where we should go from here. He focused on the terrifying potential for job loss and the existential threat of weaponization by hostile countries.
Since then, Altman has doubled down on his conviction that progress in artificial intelligence will make entire classes of jobs altogether obsolete. He stated, “Some areas, again, I think just like totally, totally gone.” This remark illustrates his fear that AI’s new eventual capabilities will make entire job functions unnecessary, thereby revolutionizing the very nature of labor.
Furthermore, Altman predicted that in the near future, leaders, including presidents, might rely on AI systems like ChatGPT for critical decision-making support. The potential benefits of this change would go beyond making government more responsive to complex challenges.
In the course of those remarks, the OpenAI CEO identified one particularly insidious peril. Hostile nations may seek to wield AI as a weapon of mass destruction. He conveyed his worries about AI’s rapidly advancing destructive capabilities, emphasizing the need for vigilance as nations could harness this technology to disrupt critical infrastructures such as the U.S. financial system.
Altman didn’t stop there with the broader societal implications. He addressed pointed questions on customer service and the implications of security and fraud. He admits that space voice cloning technology in particular has made astonishingly rapid progress. It has opened the door for rampant identity theft and complex fraud operations. He cautioned that several banks and credit unions continue to use voiceprints for identity verification. That is a dangerous practice since sticking with legacy security solutions can put people and businesses at risk.
As part of his testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee, his first since May 2023, Altman reiterated his call for government regulation of artificial intelligence technologies under the Biden administration. He further stressed that proactive measures are needed to develop and deploy AI systems safely.
Against this backdrop of concern, Altman’s testimony brought focus to the productive, transformative potential AI technologies hold for increasing efficiency and accuracy across sectors. He stated, “Now you call one of these things and AI answers. It’s like a super-smart, capable person.” AI can make interactions more efficient by eliminating the usual obstacles between customers and service. Take that, frustrating phone trees and dreadful transfer times!
Moreover, he asserted that ChatGPT may outperform many medical professionals in diagnostic capabilities, stating, “ChatGPT today, by the way, most of the time, can give you better – it’s like, a better diagnostician than most doctors in the world.” This sweeping claim reveals the incredible potential and dangerous shortcoming of leaning on AI in essential industries like healthcare.
Altman is no doubt doing his best to usher in an AI-driven future. He added that he’ll open OpenAI’s first office in Washington, D.C. next year. This strategic move aims to facilitate closer collaboration with policymakers and regulatory bodies as they navigate the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence technologies.