Renowned artificial intelligence expert Geoffrey Hinton, often referred to as the "Godfather of AI," recently expressed strong dissatisfaction with OpenAI's shift towards commercialization. Hinton, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics last year, believes that OpenAI is straying from its original non-profit mission, especially regarding its commitments to safety.
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OpenAI plans to fully transition to a for-profit company this year, a move that has sparked widespread opposition from various organizations and individuals. Hinton stated in a declaration that OpenAI was originally a non-profit organization focused on safety, having made a series of commitments related to safety in its charter. "OpenAI's transformation means it can easily abandon these commitments, which undoubtedly sends a very bad message to other participants," he remarked.
Hinton previously worked at Google but resigned in May 2023 to express his views more freely regarding the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. His comments come in the context of supporting Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI's shift to commercialization. Musk's lawsuit aims to prevent OpenAI from making this transition, arguing that it is abandoning its original charitable mission.
According to legal documents from the Encode organization, OpenAI's transition will undermine its prior commitments to safety made to the public. Encode is a youth-led non-profit organization concerned that OpenAI's actions will affect the safety of the entire industry. The organization's founder, Sneha Revanur, stated that currently, only a few companies are rapidly developing and deploying transformative AI, and these companies are internalizing profits while the consequences are borne by all of humanity. She calls for the court's intervention to ensure that the development of AI aligns with the public interest.
Currently, OpenAI's non-profit entity, OpenAI Inc, controls a holding company named OpenAI GP, which in turn controls a for-profit subsidiary called OpenAI Global LLC. OpenAI stated that to advance its mission of safely developing AGI, its corporate structure must evolve again. In a blog post dated December 27, 2024, OpenAI mentioned that its existing for-profit portion will transition into a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) located in Delaware.
Although OpenAI hopes to smoothly carry out this transition, its path to commercialization still faces legal challenges. In November of last year, Musk filed a lawsuit against OpenAI to halt its commercialization, claiming it betrays its original intent. OpenAI countered that Musk's lawsuit lacks a legal basis and could give his AI startup xAI an unfair competitive advantage.
Key Points:
🌟 ** Hinton Critiques OpenAI**: Geoffrey Hinton pointed out that OpenAI is abandoning its safety commitments and strongly opposes its transition to a for-profit company.
⚖️ ** Musk Files Lawsuit **: Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI's transition, claiming it has forsaken its original charitable mission.
🚀 ** Transition Faces Challenges **: OpenAI's commercialization plans are encountering legal obstacles, and the future development remains uncertain.
