Robert Reich on AI

 Be afraid. Be very afraid.

And click here for an article by Robert Reich discussing AI and concluding:

Which all goes to show that the real Frankenstein monster of AI is human greed.  

He believes that Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI (which has a capped profit structure and nonprofit board and in which Microsoft has a huge stake) was forced out by board members of the nonprofit group because he was leaning too far toward Microsoft's desire to generate profits and away from the objectives of the nonprofit that Open AI was set up to be.

Altman went to Microsoft. A huge majority of Open AI's approximately 700 employees signed a letter saying they would all quit and go to Microsoft too if Altman was not reinstated (because Altman was moving in the directon of profit, when "they own stock in the company and will make a boatload of money if Open AI prioritizes growth over safety. It’s estimated that OpenAI could be worth between $80 billion to $90 billion in a tender offer — making it one of the world’s most valuable tech start-ups of all time," and "Everyone involved — including Altman, OpenAI’s employees, and even Microsoft — will make much more money if OpenAI survives and they can sell their shares in the tender offer."

So Open AI will  follow the Microsoft path, "making gobs of money." Reich concludes:

This past week’s frantic battle over OpenAI shows that not even a nonprofit board with a capped profit structure for investors can match the power of Big Tech and Wall Street. 

Money triumphs in the end.

The question for the future is whether the government — also susceptible to the corruption of big money — can do a better job weighing the potential benefits of AI against its potential horrors, and regulate the monster.

Happy Thanksgiving.