Elon Musk has announced plans to develop his own chatbot, TruthGPT, which he claims will be a “maximum truth-seeking AI”. The billionaire entrepreneur aims to create a third option to OpenAI and Google with an aim to “create more good than harm”.
Musk believes that an AI that cares about understanding the universe is less likely to pose a threat to humans, making it the best path to safety. Musk is said to be working with a team of experts from established artificial intelligence labs and companies, including OpenAI.
During an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson the Tesla CEO compared the risks of AI to that of mismanaged aircraft design or bad car production, warning that the potential for “civilizational destruction” is not trivial.
The Washington Post recently reported that on March 9, 2023, Musk incorporated a company named X.AI. It is believed that this company was formed with the intention of developing an AI system to compete with existing technologies, such as the ChatGPT and GPT-4, which were created by OpenAI.
Elon Musk and OpenAI
Elon Musk, who was one of the founders of OpenAI, a California-based AI research laboratory, resigned in 2018 due to clashes with its management, particularly regarding attitudes toward AI safety.
Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 and following the release of GPT 4 a few weeks ago, Musk has been a vocal critic of AI systems that exhibit “woke” features and show political bias. He has taken issue with OpenAI’s censorship of ChatGPT’s responses to what it deems to be inappropriate or harmful prompts.
As a self-proclaimed advocate for free speech, Musk has expressed concern about the danger of training AI to lie in order to promote political agendas.
Letter against AI development
Elon Musk, a strong critic of AI systems, has called for a pause in the development of AI across the industry following the release of OpenAI’s GPT-4. He has signed a petition from the Future of Life Institute that calls for greater regulation and oversight of AI development.
More than 1,800 signatories have called for a six-month pause on the development of systems “more powerful” than GPT-4, which poses profound risks to humanity, according to the letter. The Future of Life Institute coordinated the effort and cited research from experts, including university academics and current and former employees of OpenAI, Google, and its subsidiary DeepMind.
TruthGPT, X.AI and the Future of Artificial Intelligence
Despite Musk’s opposition to “Woke” AIs that are trained to lie on political bias, his latest actions suggest that he is going ahead with the initiative to develop a counter-AI system for ChatGPT and GPT 4.
The new company’s sole director is Musk, and Jared Birchall, CEO of Neuralink, serves as the company’s secretary. Jared Birchall is the managing director of Musk’s family office Excession. He also serves on the board of The Boring Company. Birchall began his career as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs and later became a wealth adviser at Morgan Stanley.
X.AI has hired Igor Babuschkin, a senior research engineer from Google’s Deepmind, to lead the AI development efforts. Babuschkin is an experienced AI expert who previously worked at OpenAI and Deepmind London, and completed an internship at CERN.
Another key hire is Manuel Kroiss, a Deepmind engineer who co-authored a paper on “Launchpad: A Comprehensive Introduction to Reinforcement Learning”. The roles of other members of the X.AI team have not been disclosed.
It is not yet clear what positions each member of the X.AI team will hold or their specific responsibilities, but given their impressive backgrounds and experience, it is likely that each member will play a crucial role in the development of “unbiased AI”.
X.AI has reportedly authorized the sale of 100 million shares and is seeking investment from investors who have already invested in SpaceX and Tesla. As AI systems require highly advanced technology, significant investments are required for their development and maintenance. It is commonly observed that as AI systems become more advanced, the cost of operation and maintenance also increases.
X.AI and Twitter
There have been reports speculating that Elon Musk could potentially use Twitter’s platform and database in the development of a new artificial intelligence system. Musk had previously tweeted about OpenAI’s access to Twitter’s database for training, and how he put an end to that.
Additionally, it has been reported that Musk recently purchased around 10,000 GPUs, which are typically utilized by technology companies. While no official confirmation has been made by any relevant parties, these developments suggest that Musk is potentially investing in the development of a new AI system that could utilize Twitter’s vast database and cutting-edge technology.
Although the details surrounding Elon Musk’s TruthGPT AI system are scarce, it is safe to assume that its launch will have a profound impact on the AI ecosystem. With Musk’s track record of disrupting industries through innovative technology, the world is eagerly anticipating another game-changing development in the AI space.
As we wait in anticipation for more information, one thing is certain: when Musk’s TruthGPT arrives, it will likely be a force to be reckoned with.
