AI tech is in TV equivalent of monochrome but future is 鈥榖right鈥�: CEO of OpenAI

OpenAI is the developer of ChatGPT, which Altman called 鈥渙ne of the most transformative technologies in education we have had in recent times.鈥� (Supplied)
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  • Discovery of new sciences, and transformation in medicine, education in next 10 years, says Sam Altman
  • Urges govts to develop global standards for study of the technology and safety measures

DUBAI: Artificial intelligence technology is currently in television鈥檚 equivalent of 鈥渂lack and white鈥� but the coming decade 鈥渨ill be remarkable,鈥� said Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, on Tuesday.

Speaking via video on the second day of the World Governments Summit underway in Dubai, Altman said the 鈥渂right future鈥� promised by AI would transform education and medicine, and result in the development of new sciences.

He urged governments to adopt AI technology, which he said would improve the lives of citizens and modernize workplaces. There should also be efforts made to develop global standards for studying the technology and establishing safety regulations.

鈥淲hat we have now would have been unimaginable in the era of the first primitive cellphones and that鈥檚 what we need to push for.鈥�

He added: 鈥淚n a few more years, (AI technologies) will be much better than it is now and, in a decade, it should be remarkable.鈥�

OpenAI is the developer of ChatGPT, which Altman called 鈥渙ne of the most transformative technologies in education we have had in recent times.鈥�

He said the core of AI was making intelligence broadly available, accessible, and inexpensive, noting that humanity still fails to realize 鈥渉ow limited we are.鈥�

鈥淚magine a world where everyone gets a personal tutor, a great personalized medical advice, and how we can use these tools to discover new sciences and build healthy environments,鈥� said Altman.

Asked what he would do if he was a minister of AI, Altman said he would create a 鈥渞egulatory box鈥� that would enable people to experience the new technologies before governments establish regulations.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to get regulatory ideas in a vacuum, so if there was a contained way to give people the future and let them experiment with it and see what went wrong or right, then put regulations around, I鈥檇 do that.鈥�

Altman said people today were 鈥渦nbelievably lucky鈥� to be living 鈥渋n the best time of human history.鈥�

鈥淵ou will use these tools that will enable you to do things people in previous generations couldn鈥檛 have imagined,鈥� he said.

Running until Feb. 14, this year鈥檚 WGS brings together more than 25 heads of state, more than 85 international and regional organisations and global institutions, 140 governments, and distinguished global thought leaders and experts. 

Over 200 prominent speakers are addressing global future trends during more than 110 dialogues and sessions. WGS 2024 also hosts more than 4000 attendees, as well as more than 23 ministerial meetings and executive sessions attended by more than 300 ministers.