There’s only one story in town this week, and that is what we’ll be covering here: the potential death of the brightest star in the AI space, OpenAI. Amidst all the noise there have been some other interesting developments but really, nothing else comes close to the OpenAI story. Here goes!

News

On Friday, in a seeming act of madness, Open AI sacked AI’s brightest star, CEO Sam Altman. What followed was the stuff of Hollywood, not Silicon Valley. Here is a tweet I wrote yesterday summarising the bizarre twists and turns since Altman got fired:

That was last night. And then, just when you thought there couldn’t be any more twists and turns, this happened just before I pressed send!

Where does this leave us now. Well, for Altman, he is back and in a much stronger position than he was on Friday morning. For the board, it has been reconstituted with some big hitters brought on. For Microsoft, it will have strengthened it’s relationship with OpenAI and it’s CEO, and will undoubtedly secured some form of oversight of the company/board. For the staff at OpenAI, they will feel renewed and energised with a massive sense of purpose. For the rest of us, we can look forward to an ‘on mission’ OpenAI releasing new products and improving their AI with vigour.

Tools

Despite all the noise this week, I’ve had the chance to engage a little with Grok, xAI’s new chatbot. Grok, rapidly built and trained under the visionary leadership of Elon Musk, is quirky. It’s US only just now (I think, certainly not Europe) so it requires a VPN set up to use, but it’s worth the effort.

The chatbot is unique in that it deliberately tries to frame its answers with a touch of wit. For example, when asked about the best way to make a sandwich, Grok might respond with:

This playful approach not only makes the interaction more enjoyable but also showcases the AI's capacity for more interesting conversation.

Overall, xAI's Grok is a brilliant example of the evolving capabilities of AI chatbots. Its blend of practicality and personality makes it a unique choice in the crowded field of AI tools. Whether you're looking for a reliable source of information, a helping hand in your daily tasks, or just a bit of lighthearted banter, Grok is definitely worth exploring. You can try it out (or sign up for access when available in your area) at xai.com

Prompt

Today, I’m going to leave you with a prompt to try out with ChatGPT or any other chatbot for that matter. I was asked by a friend to consider what AI, and thus the world, might look like in 2040. I thought I’d ask ChatGPT but with a twist. Here’s the prompt I used followed by the thinking that led to its construction:

Imagine you're an AI ethics consultant in 2040. Reflect on the most significant ethical challenge you faced in your career. How did you address it, and what were its implications on society and AI development?

1. Futuristic Perspective: By setting the scenario in 2040, the prompt encourages you to think beyond current limitations and advancements in AI.

2. Role Playing Element: Positioning the AI as an "AI ethics consultant" immerses them in a hypothetical but plausible future profession. This role playing aspect is particularly good at getting better responses from ChatGPT.

3. Ethical Focus: The prompt centers on ethical challenges, which are a crucial aspect of AI development.

4. Reflective and Critical Thinking: Asking the AI to reflect on a (hypothetical) challenge they faced and how they addressed it promotes critical thinking.

5. Societal and Technological Implications: The prompt invites both you and the AI to ponder the interplay between technology and society.

Definitely worth a try. I found the exercise very interesting.