OpenAI "Will Invest 20% of Computing Power Over 4 Years"
ChatGPT Users Down 5.7% and Traffic Down 9.7% in June
OpenAI, the developer of the generative artificial intelligence (AI) ChatGPT, is embarking on research to find ways to control 'superintelligence AI' that surpasses human intelligence. Although ChatGPT, which sparked a global generative AI craze, has seen a decline in monthly users and traffic for the first time eight months after its launch, OpenAI plans to look ahead and take proactive measures as the pace of AI technology development accelerates.
"Currently, humans cannot control superintelligent AI"
On the 5th (local time), OpenAI founders Ilya Sutskever and Jan Leike, in a post on their website, stated, "Although the emergence of superintelligent AI feels distant now, we believe it could arrive within 10 years," and announced plans to develop methods to steer and control superintelligent AI within the next four years.
They pointed out, "Current technology relies on human ability to supervise AI," and "current alignment techniques do not scale to superintelligence." They warned, "The immense power of superintelligence could render humanity powerless and even lead to humanity's extinction," adding, "At present, there is no way to steer or control superintelligent AI, nor any way to prevent it from becoming a rogue entity."
To address these issues, OpenAI announced plans to allocate 20% of its current computing power over the next four years. They are also organizing a separate team called the 'Super Alignment Team,' aiming to create AI alignment researchers at a human level and to scale up using massive computing resources.
OpenAI explains that this approach will enable other AI systems to control superintelligent AI when it emerges and continue routine supervision that is difficult for humans to perform.
OpenAI's efforts are interpreted as a response to concerns raised in the industry and market following the generative AI boom since the launch of ChatGPT in November last year. In April, notable figures including Tesla CEO Elon Musk issued a statement calling for a six-month pause in AI system development due to worries about AI's negative societal impact, and various surveys reflected fears that AI could have adverse effects on society.
In response, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has appeared before the U.S. Congress and toured Europe, emphasizing the need for AI regulation and the importance of technical preparedness.
AI craze slows?…ChatGPT records first decline in users and traffic last month
While OpenAI is preparing for superintelligent AI with a forward-looking approach, ChatGPT has recorded a decline in users and traffic for the first time since its launch.
On that day, web traffic analysis company SimilarWeb reported that traffic to the ChatGPT website decreased by 9.7% compared to the previous month. The number of visitors dropped by 5.7% in one month, and the time visitors spent on the site decreased by 8.5%. This marks the first decline in website traffic since ChatGPT's launch in November last year.
ChatGPT reached 100 million monthly users just two months after its launch. Considering that social networking services (SNS) like TikTok and Instagram took nine months and 30 months respectively to reach 100 million monthly active users, this was an astonishing speed. This also reflected the public's strong interest in generative AI.
However, as growth has recently slowed, speculation has arisen that ChatGPT's popularity may be waning.
David Carr, Senior Manager at SimilarWeb, evaluated, "The traffic decline is evidence that the novelty of chatbots is fading." RBC Capital Markets analyst Rishi Zalluria interpreted this as indicating a greater demand for real-time information from generative AI. He explained that the free version of ChatGPT has not been updated with information since 2021, which has led to the traffic decline.
However, some analyses suggest that ChatGPT is merely going through an adjustment period after rapid growth. With school vacations starting in several countries last month, student demand for ChatGPT may have decreased, and the availability of ChatGPT as a smartphone application on devices like the iPhone could have reduced visits to the website.
According to data.ai, a mobile app market data analysis platform, the ChatGPT app has been downloaded more than 17 million times worldwide on iOS as of the 4th.
Sarah Hindleian Bowler, Head of Technology Research for the Americas at global asset management firm Macquarie Group, commented, "(ChatGPT) is bound to experience growing pains as its user base rapidly increased from zero to 100 million."
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