Shock of the future: "The advancement of artificial intelligence is no longer stoppable. When we look at our lives today, they will look barbaric to us" – these dramatic remarks were made today by Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI and considered one of the most talked about names in the world today in the field of royal intelligence – the most sketched in his performances in Israel.
"The ground is shaking now," Altman told the large crowd gathered to hear him and Ilya Sutzkever, chief scientist of OpenAI at Tel Aviv University, "the only comparison is to when the Internet was launched. Most people still don't imagine what will be possible for us in the near future. If you're an entrepreneur who is now planning to start a startup, you're probably the luckiest entrepreneur in history, because we're at the beginning of a huge technological wave."
"The only comparison - to the time when the Internet was launched." Sam Altman in Tel Aviv, Photo: Gideon Markowitz
Altman and Sutzkever, who are currently visiting Israel, are among the most important figures in the world of royal intelligence and are behind programs such as ChatGPT and Dall-E, which have gained immense popularity in recent months after enabling masses of users from around the world to have a "conversation" with the artificial intelligence engine and create new drawings and illustrations with it. In their appearance today, the two sketched out a scenario for a terrifying and amazing future that holds enormous risks, but also opportunities that are hard to imagine.
"Amazing things will happen"
"People in the future will live much better," Altman argues, "You can't stop the progress of technology, and we have to think about how to manage it correctly. We are in the most exciting period, at least since the invention of the smartphone. Artificial intelligence will affect all areas of our lives." "Amazing things will happen in the near future," they added, "Artificial intelligence will help us reach scientific breakthroughs, understand the mysteries of the universe, cure diseases. We are already seeing the beginning, it is already happening. The systems of the future, for example, will have no problem addressing the climate crisis. If we can accelerate technological development through AI, we will develop cleaner energy technologies faster that will reduce the carbon footprint. And it is important to remember that we can ask the computer not only to find the solution, but also to execute it. It's just an example of how far you can dream."
There will be no problem addressing environmental issues. Climate conference, archive, photo: GettyImages
Alongside the possibilities, the two also spoke about the dangers inherent in upcoming technological developments, arguing that they are so great that global cooperation should be thought of that would regulate activity in the field "similar to the way the International Atomic Energy Agency operates." "This is humanity's ultimate challenge," Sutzkever said, "in the future we will be able to build a computer that will be smarter than anyone in the world. It's crazy. This computer will be able to create artificial intelligence programs on its own. It can be very, very positive, but also really dangerous." However, the two stressed that they argued that it would not be right to impose regulation on the field at this time. "It would be a mistake to stop or slow down the great innovation that we have now," Altman added, "but that will be debatable in the future."
Sutzkever presented three main dangers: to the economy, to security, and to the fear of developing a "superintelligence" that would get out of control. "It would be a very bad idea," he said, "it would be a mistake to develop such a thing. But even before that, in the field of economics, there are significant dangers. In the short term, many jobs will be at risk. We are facing a period of uncertainty. We need to formulate plans that will soften the blow. Humanity needs a new socio-economic contract." Altman added: "I am optimistic, there is excess demand in the world and thanks to technology there will be a huge leap in productivity. In the long run, some jobs will disappear, and some will remain because the public would prefer people to do them."
Altman and Sutzkever at a conference at Tel Aviv University, photo: AFP
According to the two, the Israeli economy and the high-tech community in Israel are in a good position for future developments. "Israelis, go for it," they said to applause from the crowd, which included many entrepreneurs and senior figures in the Israeli high-tech industry, "the coming period will be the golden age of artificial intelligence. I see the many talents that Israel has and that Israeli entrepreneurs have a boundary-knowing ambition. The combination of these two things is fertile ground for creating prosperity. The diversity here is tremendous, we heard a lot of ideas and everyone was different."
"Special for me to visit Israel"
Altman's visit to Israel is short, but very compressed with meetings and performances. This morning, President Isaac Herzog met with him. "We are very excited that you are here," the president said, "It is clear that Israel is a superpower in the technological sense and a leading force in the field of artificial intelligence, which is why your visit here arouses such great interest." Altman said that the visit to Israel "is very special for me on a personal level. The tech and start-up community in Israel is amazing. The thought, focus and urgency of understanding that we need to know how to navigate the great risks of technology, so that we can enjoy its benefits, is the goal of all of us. I've been following the technology here for many years."
President Herzog and Altman, Photo: Amos Ben Gershom/GPO
Altman's visit has considerable business potential for dozens of Israeli technology companies active in the boiling field of artificial intelligence. Sources in the high-tech industry said that they believe Altman expresses interest in business activity in Israel and that he may even make investments or acquisitions with us. Israel Hayom learned that last night Altman attended a closed dinner held in his honor at the Claro restaurant in Tel Aviv, attended by 12 leading Israeli high-tech entrepreneurs.
A source who attended the meeting said that those present spoke with OpenAI executives about how to formulate a national strategy for integrating artificial intelligence capabilities into the Israeli high-tech industry. According to another source familiar with the details, the aggregate value of Israeli high-tech companies whose CEOs attended the event reaches about $50 billion.
Will artificial intelligence help solve climate problems?, Photo: AP
Previously, Altman met with Education Minister Yoav Kish, and the two discussed mainly how new technologies can be harnessed for the benefit of education and employment systems around the world. The minister was reportedly interested in the subject in light of the assessment that many areas of employment will undergo significant changes due to the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies, and the expectation is that many jobs will become redundant in the coming years. At the entrance to the meeting, held at Masterschool's offices in Tel Aviv, the minister encountered demonstrators against the legal reform, who shouted "shame" at him.
This was not the only case in which political debates influenced Altman's visit to Israel. During the visit, Altman is not expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and according to various sources in the high-tech industry, the reason for this is an attempt to avoid getting into the sharp controversy over the reform. The Prime Minister's Office said that "there was no official request from the office for a meeting with Sam Altman," but the industry believes that the meeting is not taking place against the backdrop of criticism against the government's moves, since Altman's desire is to show that his visit to Israel focuses solely on a professional and technological aspect.
However, after his appearance at Tel Aviv University, Altman reportedly spoke by phone with Netanyahu. The Prime Minister's Office said that the two discussed the opportunities and challenges facing the world and the State of Israel in relation to artificial intelligence, as well as possible collaborations.
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