Elon Musk named co-chair for non-profit firm researching AI

[S'toon]

Elon Musk, chief executive of electric carmaker Tesla Motors, on Friday unveiled OpenAI, a non-profit artificial intelligence research company that is backed by other prominent names from the technology world.


“Our goal is to advance digital intelligence in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate financial return,” a blog post on OpenAI’s website said.


The non-profit will be co-chaired by Musk and technology venture capitalist Sam Altman, who has backed Reddit.

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They have committed $1 billion for the fledgling firm, but OpenAI said it expects to spend a “tiny fraction” of that amount in the next few years.

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Full article at:
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/12/tes...fit-firm-researching-artificial-intelligence/

 

[ohmman]

Official site: OpenAI

Interview: How Elon Musk and Y Combinator Plan to Stop Computers From Taking Over — Backchannel — Medium

Twitter: @open_ai

I'm in Montreal at NIPS and it's a pretty buzzy thing right now. They are having a meeting at my hotel restaurant tomorrow night. I don't believe it'll be Elon and Sam, as they haven't been here for the whole conference. However, if it is.. I may have to reschedule my trip home.

 

[dirkhh]

Great - because clearly Mr Musk isn't stretched thin enough and needs more distractions... :-(

 

[stopcrazypp]

Great - because clearly Mr Musk isn't stretched thin enough and needs more distractions... :-(

I had same that thought, but reading the article, Elon says this had been something that was bothering him and that it was worth the time spent. Hard to argue with that. I'm happy at least he let the Hyperloop idea be developed by others.

 

[Auzie]

Official site: OpenAI

Interview: How Elon Musk and Y Combinator Plan to Stop Computers From Taking Over — Backchannel — Medium

Twitter: @open_ai

I'm in Montreal at NIPS and it's a pretty buzzy thing right now. They are having a meeting at my hotel restaurant tomorrow night. I don't believe it'll be Elon and Sam, as they haven't been here for the whole conference. However, if it is.. I may have to reschedule my trip home.

Thanks for the links, interesting interview. I find it interesting that this initiative seems to be an attempt to prevent AI abuse, or to prevent the concentration of AI in the hands of entities that already have disproportionate power in society. Quite noble and altruistic.


I like the proposed concept of empowering individuals with AI. Personal empowerment improves quality of life. Power to the people!


It could be said that AI is a form of power. Its misuse is similar to a misuse of any other power, it leads to someone being abused or killed, in the extreme.


Root causes of power misuses or abuses are far more complex than a notion of bad people, tough selfish motives seem to be prevalent.


Often people get trapped in scenarios in which they have conflicting interests, hence, they get set up against each other, like gladiators in the ring, taken to an extreme. Once there, they fight, using weaponry at their disposal.


AI will likely move these fights to a different level. I do not see such future as frightening, just different.