New York: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman delved into the repercussions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on various facets of society, including elections, the economy, and employment. Expressing concerns about the proliferation of AI-generated misinformation and its influence on elections, Altman emphasized the significant socioeconomic changes AI could bring about.
During a panel discussion at the Brookings Institution focusing on AI and geopolitics, Altman highlighted the diminishing emphasis on discussions regarding AI’s economic impact compared to the previous year, suggesting a lack of serious consideration for the potential consequences.
“GPT-4 didn’t have this huge detectable impact on the economy, and so people were kind of like, ‘Oh well, we were too worried about that, and that’s not a problem.’ I have a fear that we just won’t take that one seriously enough going forward, and it’s a massive, massive issue,” Altman stated.
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These discussions coincide with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) study indicating that AI could affect approximately 60% of jobs in advanced economies, with nearly half of those jobs susceptible to automation, potentially resulting in reduced hiring and wages.
Altman’s apprehensions are not unwarranted, as he previously expressed concerns to CNBC about the potential job displacement caused by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, acknowledging being “a little bit scared” of its ramifications on employment.
“If I said I were not, you should either not trust me, or be very unhappy I’m in this job,” Altman stated during the CNBC interview.