The Intelligent Era: A Vision for the Future Driven by Artificial Intelligence
Today, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, shared his vision for the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in his blog post titled "The Intelligent Era". He envisions a world where AI accelerates human progress, suggesting that "superintelligence" could be achieved in the near future.
Altman remarked, “We may have superintelligence (ASI) within a few thousand days; while it might take longer, I firmly believe we will get there.” He predicts that AI will soon evolve into autonomous personal assistants capable of handling specific tasks, such as coordinating healthcare services.
According to Altman, future AI systems will possess extraordinary capabilities, enabling us to develop more advanced technologies and achieve significant breakthroughs in science. He emphasized that deep learning will be crucial for driving the next wave of prosperity in human society: “Deep learning has proven effective, and its impact will increase as we scale it up. We are investing more resources into this area.”
However, Altman stressed the importance of lowering computational costs and ensuring resource abundance to benefit a broader population. He warned that without adequate infrastructure, AI could become a scarce resource, leading to competition and exacerbating social inequality.
While Altman is optimistic about the future, not everyone shares his confidence. Computer scientist Grady Booch has voiced concerns on social media, criticizing the current hype surrounding AI as lacking a solid foundation and viewing it as a means to boost valuations and attract attention, thereby diverting focus from genuine computational work.
“Humans have an innate ability to create and collaborate, and AI will expand our capabilities like never before,” Altman emphasized. “Many tasks considered a waste of time centuries ago are viewed differently today—no one wanted to be a lamplighter back then.”
This article highlights Altman's foresight regarding the future of AI, while also provoking thought on the complex relationship between technological advancement and social equity.