17 ms·

I don't think it's AGI, but rather video production. OpenAI wants to build the next video social network / ads / tv / movie production system. The moat is the

I don't think it's AGI, but rather video production. OpenAI wants to build the next video social network / ads / tv / movie production system. The moat is the massive compute required.

gkoberger 1y ago
I'm sure they're not against building this, and they definitely have competing priorities. But my personal belief is Sam Altman has a singular goal: AGI. Everything else keeps the lights on.
- sho_hn 1y ago
  Is there any indication they are actually working on this and Altman is any good at pursuing this goal? I'm seriously asking, please inform the uninformed. My impression is that I hear a lot more about basic research from the competing high-profile labs, while OpenAI feels focused on their established stable of products. They also had high-profile researchers leave. Does OpenAI still have a culture looking for the next breakthroughs? How does their brain trust rank?
- Analemma_ 1y ago
  Huh, my read is exactly the opposite: Altman wants to be a trillionaire and isn't picky about how he gets there. If AGI accomplishes it, great, but if that's not possible, "just" making a megacorporation which permanently breaks the negotiating power of labor is fine too. Amodei is the one who I think actually wants to build AGI.
  - thelastgallon 1y ago
    I think your read is right. There are a few people who want to be trillionaires and aren't too picky about to get there: Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Trump, Larry Ellison, Peter Thiel, Putin. Maybe Bezos and Zuckerberg. Of course, there wouldn't be many people who don't want to be trillionaires. Rare exceptions[1]. But these are the people with means to get there. [1]: No means NO - Do you want a one million dollar answer NO!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtWC4X628Ek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtWC4X628Ek
    - wkat4242 1y ago
      I definitely would not want to be a trillionaire yeah. Having a million or so would be nice but more and you get roped into all kinds of power play and you have to get security goons with you all the time to avoid getting kidnapped. I'd much rather be anonymous.
      - cindyllm 1y ago
        [dead]
      - kachapopopow 1y ago
        to be fair I couldn't recognize 99% of billionaires and crazy people are easy to deal with if you know what I mean.
        codyb 1y ago
        To be fair, you're probably not an organized crime syndicate looking for targets either.
        kachapopopow 1y ago
        crime syndicates are just as afraid of people with that much money.
        cindyllm 1y ago
        [dead]
  - gkoberger 1y ago
    Then why start a company where you have no equity? (Yes I believe he financially benefits from OpenAI, but the more straightforward way would be OpenAI equity)
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
    - Analemma_ 1y ago
      I think his initial belief was that OpenAI would to be a research organization which would get acquihired or license its tech out, and then Chat-GPT unexpectedly happened. Notice how ever since then he's been trying to get the nonprofit status cancelled or evaded.
- timeon 1y ago
  Isn't that just PR?

I don't think it's AGI, but rather video production. OpenAI wants to build the next video social network / ads / tv / movie production system. The moat is the massive compute required.

gkoberger 1y ago

I'm sure they're not against building this, and they definitely have competing priorities. But my personal belief is Sam Altman has a singular goal: AGI. Everything else keeps the lights on.

sho_hn 1y ago
Is there any indication they are actually working on this and Altman is any good at pursuing this goal? I'm seriously asking, please inform the uninformed. My impression is that I hear a lot more about basic research from the competing high-profile labs, while OpenAI feels focused on their established stable of products. They also had high-profile researchers leave. Does OpenAI still have a culture looking for the next breakthroughs? How does their brain trust rank?
Analemma_ 1y ago
Huh, my read is exactly the opposite: Altman wants to be a trillionaire and isn't picky about how he gets there. If AGI accomplishes it, great, but if that's not possible, "just" making a megacorporation which permanently breaks the negotiating power of labor is fine too. Amodei is the one who I think actually wants to build AGI.
- thelastgallon 1y ago
  I think your read is right. There are a few people who want to be trillionaires and aren't too picky about to get there: Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Trump, Larry Ellison, Peter Thiel, Putin. Maybe Bezos and Zuckerberg. Of course, there wouldn't be many people who don't want to be trillionaires. Rare exceptions[1]. But these are the people with means to get there. [1]: No means NO - Do you want a one million dollar answer NO!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtWC4X628Ek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtWC4X628Ek
  - wkat4242 1y ago
    I definitely would not want to be a trillionaire yeah. Having a million or so would be nice but more and you get roped into all kinds of power play and you have to get security goons with you all the time to avoid getting kidnapped. I'd much rather be anonymous.
    - cindyllm 1y ago
      [dead]
    - kachapopopow 1y ago
      to be fair I couldn't recognize 99% of billionaires and crazy people are easy to deal with if you know what I mean.
      - codyb 1y ago
        To be fair, you're probably not an organized crime syndicate looking for targets either.
        kachapopopow 1y ago
        crime syndicates are just as afraid of people with that much money.
        cindyllm 1y ago
        [dead]
- gkoberger 1y ago
  Then why start a company where you have no equity? (Yes I believe he financially benefits from OpenAI, but the more straightforward way would be OpenAI equity)
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
  - Analemma_ 1y ago
    I think his initial belief was that OpenAI would to be a research organization which would get acquihired or license its tech out, and then Chat-GPT unexpectedly happened. Notice how ever since then he's been trying to get the nonprofit status cancelled or evaded.
timeon 1y ago
Isn't that just PR?