OpenAI’s recently announced “preparedness” team said it will continuously evaluate its AI systems to figure out how they fare across four different categories — including potential cybersecurity issues as well as chemical, nuclear and biological threats — and work to lessen any hazards the technology appears to pose. Specifically, the company is monitoring for what it calls “catastrophic” risks, which it defines in the guidelines as “any risk which could result in hundreds of billions of dollars in economic damage or lead to the severe harm or death of many individuals.”
OpenAI said its board can choose to hold back the release of an AI model even if the company’s leadership has deemed it safe, another sign of the artificial intelligence startup empowering its directors to bolster safeguards for developing the cutting-edge technology.
The arrangement was spelt out in a set of guidelines released Monday explaining how the ChatGPT-maker plans to deal with what it may deem to be extreme risks from its most powerful AI systems. The release of the guidelines follows a period of turmoil at OpenAI after Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman was briefly ousted by the board, putting a spotlight on the balance of power between directors and the company’s c-suite.
