Sam Altman of OpenAI predicts that human-level AI is on the horizon, but its impact on the world may be less significant than we anticipate.

• According to Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the development of artificial general intelligence, or AGI, is possible in the near future.
• An advanced form of artificial intelligence, known as AGI, can perform tasks at a par with or even surpass human capabilities.
• According to Altman, AI is not replacing jobs at the scale that many economists fear, but rather it is becoming an "incredible tool for productivity."

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, believes that the idea of AI becoming too powerful and disrupting the world is exaggerated.

At a conversation organized by Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Altman stated that the impact of the technology on the world will be less than what is commonly believed, and it will affect jobs to a lesser extent as well.

Altman mentioned AGI, a type of AI that can perform tasks at the same level or higher than humans.

He said AGI could be developed in the “reasonably close-ish future.”

Altman, whose company gained prominence after the release of the ChatGPT chatbot in late 2022, has attempted to address concerns from AI critics regarding the potential impact of the technology on society.

Altman cautioned technologists against overestimating GPT-4's capabilities, stating that people would likely be disappointed with it before its release in March.

During a January interview with StrictlyVC, Altman stated that people are eager to be disappointed and that they will be, as there is no actual artificial general intelligence yet, which is what is expected of us.

Since its inception in 2015, OpenAI's primary objective is to achieve AGI. The company, backed by notable investors and valued at approximately $100 billion in the private market, aims to develop the technology in a safe manner.

After Donald Trump won the Iowa Republican caucus on Monday, Altman was questioned about whether AI could intensify economic disparities and cause the working class to be displaced as the presidential race heats up.

Altman initially agreed, saying, "Yes, for sure, I think that's something to consider." However, he later stated, "This is much more of a tool than I anticipated."

According to Altman, while AI is not yet replacing jobs at the scale that many economists fear, it is already becoming an "incredible tool for productivity."

Altman's removal from OpenAI in November was due to concerns about AI safety and his role in protecting it. However, he was reinstated as CEO after a backlash from employees and investors. Upon his return, Microsoft gained a nonvoting board observer seat at OpenAI.

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