Sam Altman resignation truth? Reuters: New project "Q*" technological breakthrough may threaten humanity

Reuters cited multiple sources saying Sam Altman's departure was likely due to OpenAI having developed a general artificial intelligence (AGI) that poses a threat to humanity, internally referred to as the "Q* project."

The Truth Behind Sam Altman's Resignation: Has Threatening AI Been Discovered?

Insiders claim that just four days before Sam Altman's resignation, several researchers wrote to the OpenAI board warning of the discovery of AI technology that could pose a threat to humanity.

They pointed out that this was a key factor in Altman's resignation, including concerns about attempting to commercialize the technology before fully understanding it.

Before Sam Altman announced his return, over 700 OpenAI employees threatened to leave for Microsoft:

OpenAI employees collectively demanded the reinstatement of Sam Altman or they would all leave for Microsoft.

OpenAI's Mysterious "Q* Project"

Insiders claim that some OpenAI employees believe the Q* Project, Q-Star, may be a significant breakthrough in exploring Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), which OpenAI defines as autonomous systems that surpass humans in tasks of great economic value.

Insiders describe Q* as solving certain math problems at a level similar to middle school students, but performing well in similar tests, leading researchers to be optimistic about Q*'s future success.

Why the Optimism About Q*?

ChatGPT has excelled in writing and translation, where different answers may be acceptable for the same question, but math has only one correct answer. Researchers believe this indicates AI possesses reasoning abilities similar to, if not stronger than, humans, which could be applied to cutting-edge scientific research in the future.

Similarly, Reuters' report did not specify any security concerns regarding this AI technology.

The Significant Progress Mentioned by Sam Altman

During the APEC Summit held in San Francisco last week, Sam Altman mentioned believing that significant progress was on the horizon:

Significant progress has occurred four times in OpenAI's history, with the most recent being in the past few weeks. Being able to participate in uncovering cutting-edge technology when we lift the veil of ignorance is a privilege in my career.

The following day, Sam Altman was promptly dismissed by the board.