The AI Overlords
Through Ilya Sutskever's 62-page deposition, we get a glimpse into OpenAI's problematic AI governance and safety approach, beyond what is filtered for public announcements | Edition #247
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The AI Overlords
Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, and Elon Musk are among today's AI overlords, making decisions that impact billions of people and that directly shape the present and future of AI.
Today's AI overlords are highly motivated by power and money, profoundly aware of the influence they exert over people, products, companies, and markets, and deeply involved in intricate power plays that will help them stay at the top.
Very often, the power plays and money games they engage in remain hidden from the public, and most people do not realize that they have been directly affected by decisions motivated by greed and personal ambition (rather than safety, ethics, or sound corporate policies).
Sometimes, however, lawsuits, scandals, and leaks give us a glimpse into the world of AI overlords: how they think, behave, and frequently ignore what is best for the public when it can serve them personally.
Among these revealing events are the very public disputes and accusations exchanged between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, two of today's most powerful AI overlords.
Elon Musk, who is also one of OpenAI's original co-founders, accuses Sam Altman of betraying the nonprofit mission and focusing on maximizing profits.
Sam Altman, on the other hand, says that the for-profit model was necessary to compete in the AI race and that Musk actually wanted Tesla to take over OpenAI.
Their fight is currently under legal scrutiny, as Musk, for the second time, filed a lawsuit against Altman in August 2024. The legal complaint’s opening line says:
“Elon Musk’s case against Sam Altman and OpenAI is a textbook tale of altruism versus greed. Altman, in concert with other Defendants, intentionally courted and deceived Musk, preying on Musk’s humanitarian concern about the existential dangers posed by AI.”
Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI’s co-founder and former chief scientist, has recently given a 62-page deposition in this lawsuit, offering a rare window into the company's problematic AI governance and safety approach beyond what is filtered for public announcements.
Here are Ilya's most interesting revelations and what caught my attention: