Elon Musk launches xAI agency to tackle OpenAI

SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. PHOTO | AFP

Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur, launched his long-teased synthetic intelligence startup xAI on Wednesday, unveiling a workforce comprised of engineers from the identical massive U.S. know-how companies that he hopes to problem in his bid to construct a substitute for ChatGPT.

The startup can be led by Musk, already the CEO of electrical automotive maker Tesla, CEO of rocket launch firm SpaceX and proprietor of Twitter, who has mentioned on a number of events that the event of AI needs to be paused and that the sector wanted regulation. Musk has repeatedly voiced considerations about AI’s potential for “civilisational destruction.”

In a Twitter Areas occasion Wednesday night, Musk defined his plan for constructing a safer AI. Somewhat than explicitly programming morality into its AI, xAI will search to create a “maximally curious” AI, he mentioned.

“If it tried to grasp the true nature of the universe, that is truly the very best factor that I can give you from an AI security standpoint,” Musk mentioned. “I believe it’ll be pro-humanity from the standpoint that humanity is simply way more attention-grabbing than not-humanity.”

Musk additionally predicted that superintelligence, or AI that’s smarter than people, will arrive in 5 – 6 years.

Musk co-founded OpenAI, the corporate behind ChatGPT, in 2015, however stepped down from the corporate’s board in 2018.

Microsoft is an investor in OpenAI.

The web site for xAI mentioned it should maintain a Twitter Areas occasion on July 14.

The workforce at xAI consists of Igor Babuschkin, a former engineer at Google’s DeepMind; Tony Wu, who labored at Google; Christian Szegedy, who was additionally a analysis scientist at Google; and Greg Yang, who was beforehand at Microsoft.

Musk in March registered a agency named X.AI Corp, integrated in Nevada, in accordance with a state submitting. The agency lists Musk as the only director and Jared Birchall, the managing director of Musk’s household workplace, as a secretary.

Musk had mentioned in April that he would launch TruthGPT, or a most truth-seeking AI to rival Google’s Bard and Microsoft’s Bing AI that tries to grasp the character of the universe.

Learn: Google unveils ChatGPT rival Bard, AI search plans in battle with Microsoft

Generative AI caught the limelight with OpenAI’s launch of common chatbot ChatGPT, which got here in November final yr, forward of the launch of Bard and Bing AI.

Dan Hendrycks, who will advise the xAI workforce, is presently director of the Heart for AI Security and his work revolves across the dangers of AI.

Musk’s new firm is separate from X Corp, however will work intently with Twitter, Tesla and different corporations, in accordance with the web site.

xAI mentioned it’s recruiting skilled engineers and researchers within the San Francisco Bay Space.