Edward Snowden Says OpenAI Just Performed a “Calculated ..."
Last week, ChatGPT creator OpenAI announced that it had appointed retired US Army General and former National Security Administration (NSA) Director Paul Nakasone, who also helmed the military's cybersecurity-focused Cyber Command unit, to its board. General Nakasone's unparalleled experience in areas like cybersecurity, OpenAI board chair Bret Taylor said in a statement, will help guide OpenAI in achieving its mission of ensuring artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.
Controversy Surrounding the Appointment
However, not everyone is thrilled about Nakasone's new role at the AI firm, which will also see the former general seated at OpenAI's Safety and Security Committee. The NSA has long been associated with surveillance of US citizens, and AI-embedded technologies are already renewing and escalating existing surveillance concerns. Famed whistleblower Edward Snowden is among the OpenAI appointment's outspoken detractors.
Other Reactions to the News
Snowden wasn't the only prominent cybersecurity figure to raise concerns. Johns Hopkins University cryptography professor Matthew Green tweeted that he believes the biggest application of AI will be mass population surveillance, suggesting that bringing the former head of the NSA into OpenAI has solid logic behind it.
Recent Developments at OpenAI
Nakasone's installation follows a series of high-profile OpenAI departures, including prominent safety researchers, and the dissolution of OpenAI's now-defunct "Superalignment" safety team. The Safety and Security Committee, which replaced the Superalignment team, is now led by company CEO Sam Altman.
Despite the controversies, many on Capitol Hill view Nakasone's OpenAI appointment as a security win. Nakasone himself stated that OpenAI's "dedication to its mission aligns closely with my own values and experience in public service."
AI, Surveillance, and Transparency
OpenAI has faced criticism for its lack of transparency regarding the data used to train its AI models. Tech firms often emphasize their use of AI, but concerns over mass surveillance and data privacy persist.
For more on AI and surveillance, read "Microsoft Admits That Maybe Surveilling Everything You Do on Your Computer Isn’t a Brilliant Idea."
Alibaba Group Holding's large language models have been ranked among the world's top 10 open-source models, underlining the significance of AI technology like ChatGPT.
