The momentum of artificial general intelligence (AGI) has been going strong for a while. This week Microsoft announced a "multiyear multibillion-dollar" investment in OpenAI. The deal has a complex structure, and many of the specifics are unknown, but a few sources say the company will invest $10 billion into OpenAI and its creator, Sam Altman. OpenAI also announced that Microsoft's cloud-based service Azure would remain the exclusive cloud provider for OpenAI.
$10 billion is like the GDP of a small island nation. It's an amount that can fund a large-scale humanitarian project for decades, and it's enough money to stack up to the moon and back a few times in one-dollar bills. I haven't seen an investment of this magnitude in the tech world in a long time. This investment conveys that AGI will play a critical role in charting the course of progress and undoubtedly compels many people to think about creating new startups.
In a recent interview with StrictlyVC, Sam Altman says, "we're just in a new world now--generated text is something we all need to adapt to, and that's fine. We adapted to calculators and changed what we tested for in math classes. I imagine this is a more extreme version of that, no doubt, but its benefits are also more extreme."
Altman talks about the current window of opportunities for new startups, especially the ones that involve vertical AI, which combines human expertise and big data analytics applied with precision and excellent timing. In other words, vertical intelligence solutions are composed of industry-specific knowledge, bespoke algorithms, and data management solutions.
Altman is generous with his answers, but the interview isn’t long enough for topics like AGI and nuclear fusion. But it's clear that as AI becomes the backbone technology for many companies, the way we conduct business will soon be radically different.
In this machine-learning era, domain-specific human expertise interlaced with AI-powered big-data analytics will dominate a substantial piece of our destiny. More cutting-edge technology in law, medicine, and education won't replace us, but it will recast how some of us do our jobs and catapult us into being more effective.
A human-computer hybrid approach results in better outcomes than either alone, as stated in Peter Thiel's book Zero to One: Notes on Startups or How to Build the Future. Thiel argues that the most successful entrepreneurs in the future will create new markets, empower people, and figure out how computers can help humans solve complex problems.
In part 3 of the book, Thiel discusses four potential future patterns with philosopher Nick Bostrom, including recurrent collapse, plateau, extinction, and takeoff into achieving singularity (when powerful technologies transcend our current understanding).
Ray Kurzweil, one of the best-known Singularitarians, says that superhuman AI is closer than we think, and we need to accept that. Thiel suggests that instead of worrying about the singularity, it is more important to focus on identifying and seizing unique opportunities.
According to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, the world is entering a new phase of globalization. We will continue to see the spread of AI, changes in the productivity curve, and increased opportunities for knowledge work. However, it can be challenging to predict the exact outcomes of these changes, mainly because AI models improve exponentially.
In conclusion, as we experience this major paradigm shift in technology and society, it is crucial that we prioritize addressing ethical and societal issues and creating new value to benefit ourselves, our communities, and the planet. Thiel reminds us that there is no guarantee that the future will be better, and we must actively work towards a positive outcome by using our critical thinking, fresh perspectives, and creating value.