MIT Technology Review Publishes Article Reviewing Sam Altman's History of AI Hype

The article focuses on Altman's behavior and words around the release of ChatGPT in 2022. He argued that Large Language Models (LLMs), as mirrors of human intelligence, would be the key to opening a healthier and more prosperous techno-utopia. This perspective is said to have fueled the industry's enthusiasm.

It is pointed out that Altman's statements have shifted depending on the situation. Whether he depicted superintelligent AI as humanistic or catastrophic seemed to vary based on fundraising goals and the competitive environment. His tendency to speak of unresolved questions as if the answers had already been found is also cited as a source of his persuasiveness.

The article also states that Altman did not deceive the world. It acknowledges that the technological innovations introduced by OpenAI are real and that the conversational capabilities of LLMs are extraordinary. However, it notes that his hype is characterized by a reliance on a philosophical vision of the future rather than current capabilities.

This vision of the future also serves as the basis for seeking more capital and friendly regulation. Altman had previously envisioned AI powerful enough to necessitate the redistribution of wealth, as well as space colonization. The analysis suggests that the promised destination often came first, with the evidence following later.

In preparing the story, MIT Technology Review requested an interview with Altman, but received no response. Consequently, the publication traced the formation process of current AI perceptions by deciphering nearly every public statement he has made about the technology.