Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the company behind the chatbot ChatGPT, has made a rare public declaration, envisioning that humanity is on the brink of entering an "intelligence age." In a lengthy post on September 23, he asserted that artificial intelligence (AI) will significantly enhance human capabilities over the next few decades, enabling people to achieve tasks that would have seemed magical to previous generations.
Altman predicts that within thousands of days, or possibly longer, superintelligent AI will emerge, possessing intelligence levels far beyond that of humans. This advanced AI will be capable of swiftly processing and analysing vast amounts of data to extract valuable insights and make precise decisions. He noted that AI models would soon serve as autonomous personal assistants, executing specific tasks on behalf of humans, such as coordinating healthcare efforts. Eventually, AI systems will improve to the point where they can help develop better next-generation systems and drive scientific progress comprehensively.
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According to Altman, a pivotal element in entering this intelligence age is deep learning, which requires substantial computational power, energy, data, and human will. He emphasised that for AI to become more widely accessible, operational costs must be reduced, necessitating significant investments in energy and chip production. He warned:
“If we do not establish sufficient infrastructure, AI will remain a very limited resource, primarily serving the wealthy.”
Altman firmly believes that the intelligence age will usher in immense prosperity, leading to solutions for climate change, the establishment of space colonies, and new discoveries in physics becoming commonplace. However, he also urged the public to recognise the potential negative impacts of AI and work to maximise its benefits while minimising its harms.
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Collaboration with Apple’s Design Visionary
In a noteworthy development, Altman’s plans for the future include a partnership with Jony Ive, the former chief designer at Apple. The collaboration aims to create a personal AI hardware device, a project that has been seeking external investment since April. On September 21, Ive confirmed this collaboration to The New York Times, indicating that the new AI hardware from OpenAI could carry the hallmark of Apple’s design philosophy.
The project is reportedly funded by both Jony Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs, through their company, Emerson Collective. The initiative aims to raise $1 billion by the end of the year and currently consists of a small team of only ten employees, including designers Tang Tan and Evans Hankey, who previously worked with Ive on the iPhone.
As for the product itself, initial reports indicated that it would draw inspiration from the touch technology of the original iPhone. However, current updates suggest that details regarding the nature of this AI product and its launch timeline are still being planned.
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