Casual and eloquent: this is how Sam Altman presented himself during his visit to Munich. © Sven Hoppe/dpa
The pioneer of artificial intelligence visited Munich. In the Audimax of the Technical University, Sam Altman spoke about how AI is changing the future.
It was almost like a rock concert: All tickets for the Audimax – Munich's largest lecture hall at the Technical University (TUM) with a good 1000 seats – were reserved within half an hour. And when the star of the afternoon took the stage on Thursday, there was thunderous applause. However, there was no rock star, but Sam Altman, founder of the company OpenAI, which is currently causing a sensation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
Only visit to Germany
TUM and the Digital Life Design platform were able to win over Altman, who has so far been rather media-shy, for his only appearance in Germany. The American looked youthful and a bit slender in his casual T-shirt and open shirt – one could almost have suspected him in the ranks of the students. In the field of AI, however, Altman is a giant.
Hardly anyone hasn't heard of ChatGPT, the AI program that can answer questions and write entire essays. But this is only one of many applications in which Altman believes AI will be used in the future. Above all, professional life will change fundamentally, according to the OpenAI founder. "Maybe not in two, but in ten years, most jobs will feel it if they don't embrace AI openly," Altman said.
Altman opposes EU over-regulation of AI
However, there are many unanswered questions about AI. In Hamburg, for example, high school graduates are said to have used ChatGPT to cheat during exams this year. There are also frequent warnings about election manipulation by AI. That's definitely a challenge, Altman says. "We need to find tools that closely monitor this." Even the pioneer of the new technology fears that AI could be too humanized. Altman called this "super dangerous." And: "Personally, I find people who want an AI friend strange."
Altman nevertheless rejects state over-regulation of AI, as is currently being discussed in the EU. But he also says: "I think there is a version of the European AI law that can be good, but we will see how the whole thing turns out."
This is what Munich will look like in 20 years, according to ChatGPT
Our newspaper dared to experiment and asked ChatGPT how the city envisions it in 20 years. The answer: "As an AI assistant, I can say that Munich could experience many changes in 20 years as a result of artificial intelligence. For example, autonomous vehicles and intelligent transportation systems could make urban traffic more efficient and safer. AI-based systems could also be used in urban planning to improve the sustainability and efficiency of buildings and infrastructure."