John Carmack Steps Back from Oculus to Pursue Development of Human-like AI

Six Years of Innovation: John Carmack’s Transition from Oculus VR to AGI

Six years ago, John Carmack, the visionary behind iD Software, shifted his focus from gaming technology to join Oculus VR as Chief Technology Officer, aiming to advance virtual reality (VR). Recently, he announced his new role as "consulting CTO" at Oculus, which will only take up a small portion of his time. His main focus now is on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a form of AI capable of performing intellectual tasks in a human-like manner, unlike today’s narrow AI, which is designed for specific tasks.

In 2014, Carmack’s move to Oculus was driven by the development of Samsung’s Gear VR headset. Since then, the VR industry has experienced uneven growth, particularly in mobile platforms. Oculus was acquired by Facebook, leading to a lengthy legal dispute with Zenimax, the parent company of iD Software, over the ownership of VR code.

As Facebook integrated Oculus, founder Palmer Luckey and other key executives departed, reflecting patterns seen with Facebook’s other acquisitions, such as WhatsApp and Instagram. Despite these changes, Carmack plans to maintain a connection with Oculus. His departure from direct involvement in VR seemed inevitable, considering his extensive background in 3D engines and aerospace. In his Facebook post, he humorously noted that one alternative to AGI was "cost-effective nuclear fission reactors," which are impractical for remote work.

Carmack's pivot to AGI marks an exciting new chapter in his career, shifting from the immersive world of virtual reality to the promising frontier of artificial intelligence.