[Why&Next] AI: Savior or Destroyer of Humanity? The Philosophical Conflict Condensed in the 'Altman Oust Drama'

OpenAI CEO Sudden Dismissal Incident
'Philosophical Conflict' Around AI Rekindled
Brake Applied Amid Fears of Human Destruction Disaster,
Ends as 'Failed Coup' with Developers Gaining Upper Hand
AI Technology Development Accelerates Whether Altman Returns or Not

"Artificial Intelligence (AI) has tremendous benefits." (Bill Gates) vs. "I fear the day AI turns into killer robots." ('AI godfather' Geoffrey Hinton)

The sudden dismissal of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI and known as the 'father of ChatGPT,' is a dramatic expression of the philosophical conflict within the industry over whether AI will save humanity (Boomers·developers) or destroy it (Doomers·doomsayers). With AI experts already divided into two camps due to the ChatGPT craze, this dismissal has reignited the debate. The ripple effects of this controversy are expected to influence AI technology development in the IT industry and the formulation of AI regulations by global regulatory authorities.

Whether Altman settles at OpenAI or Microsoft (MS), this drama triggered by his dismissal will head toward its final act. However, with his return, a renewed race to develop AI technology will unfold. As OpenAI's board's dismissal of Altman is effectively ending as a 'failed coup,' it is highly likely to become a turning point for the industry to accelerate AI commercialization. Although such philosophical conflicts will resurface at every stage of AI commercialization, regulation, and ecosystem formation, this incident is expected to strengthen the momentum of the developers.

The US daily New York Times (NYT) on the 21st (local time) stated, "It is no small irony that OpenAI's board, concerned about AI commercialization and humanity's safety, triggered an event handing over (the leadership of AI technology development) to leaders sensitive to market pressures demanding rapid growth," and evaluated, "This incident has nailed the coffin shut on efforts to build non-commercial AI models and provide them to the public."

"AI is an amplifier of human intelligence" vs. "AI is a nuclear weapon"

On the 17th (local time), when OpenAI's board dismissed Altman, the debate between developers and doomsayers once again became the center of controversy. Silicon Valley, already a cradle of innovation, had been split into two halves over the speed of AI development even before the OpenAI incident, with both sides evenly matched. While all innovators agree on the inherent risks of AI, they remain on parallel tracks with a difficult-to-bridge gap over whether AI will ultimately be humanity's 'savior' or the world's 'destroyer.'

In Silicon Valley, leading AI developers include Altman, Bill Gates, founder of MS, and Eric Schmidt, former chairman of Google. Gates, the largest shareholder who invested $13 billion in OpenAI, has argued, "It is certain that AI has tremendous benefits," and "Our job is to identify which parts of AI have problems." He especially expects AI to play an innovative role in healthcare, climate change, and education. Schmidt, while acknowledging AI as an existential threat capable of taking human lives, sided with the developers. He stated, "Developing trustworthy AI that reflects our values is important," and "I oppose any moratorium on AI development that benefits only China." A strong supporter of Altman, like Gates, he expects AI to contribute to solving humanity's challenges such as population, climate, and education. Yann LeCun, Meta's chief scientist and a professor at New York University, considered one of the four AI gurus, said, "AI will be an amplifier of human intelligence," and "AI is not the problem but part of the solution."

On the other hand, AI doomsayers worry that AI beyond human control could cause nuclear weapon-level disasters. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla; Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple; and Yuval Harari, professor at Israel's Hebrew University, are representative figures warning that AI could become a catastrophe and that speed control in technology development is necessary. Geoffrey Hinton, professor at the University of Toronto and known as the 'AI godfather' for advancing core deep learning technology, resigned from Google in April, fearing the day AI turns into killer robots. Having played a key role in AI technology development at Google, he warned against further expansion of the technology, cautioning that humanity might lose control over AI. He compared AI to a 'nuclear weapon' and said he "regretted dedicating his life" to AI development. OpenAI board member and chief scientist Alia Sutskover, who led Altman's ousting, also studied under Professor Hinton.

Musk and Wozniak, who have led innovation in Silicon Valley, are moderates advocating slowing AI development speed and are closer to AI doomsayers. They joined a statement in March calling for a six-month pause on AI research, led by the US nonprofit Future of Life Institute. Musk said, "AI is the most destructive force in history," and "We must be able to switch off AI technology. Regulation is a nuisance, but over many years, I have learned that having a referee is better."

Altman's dismissal condenses philosophical conflicts surrounding 'AI development'... AI commercialization likely to accelerate

Analysts say that the philosophical rift between Altman and OpenAI's board, who clashed over whether to prioritize profitability or safety, has surfaced due to this dismissal that shook not only Silicon Valley but the entire world. Altman outwardly showed caution about AI risks but was, in reality, a 'radical' AI developer who attracted massive investments to develop AI technology and accelerate commercialization. In contrast, OpenAI's board can be seen as representing 'moderate' doomsayers who worry about AI's existential threat to humanity and believe AI technology should be developed under human control.

Sam Altman, former CEO of OpenAI [Photo by Yonhap News]

OpenAI started with the mission to "create AI beneficial to humanity," but the huge success of ChatGPT and rapid commercialization pressures made it increasingly difficult to maintain balance between the two sides, eventually leading to internal conflict. The Washington Post (WP) evaluated in a column, "Altman's dismissal was the climax of a power struggle between two ideologies that had reached extremes."

There are also forecasts that this incident will become a turning point influencing the global IT industry's and regulatory authorities' moves regarding AI development speed. Recently, as the US White House announced an 'AI executive order' and the UK held the world's first 'AI Safety Summit,' countries were accelerating AI regulation, so this incident is expected to affect subsequent discussions by global regulators. The UK Economist predicted, "The side with greater influence (between AI developers and doomsayers) will either strengthen or frustrate regulations," adding, "Through such a destructive culture war over AI, the future methods of technological development and regulation will be shaped, and who will reap the spoils will also be decided."

However, the winning side in this confrontation that caused OpenAI's internal strife is leaning toward the developers rather than the doomsayers. Besides MS and other OpenAI investors and executives, company employees have pressured the board for Altman's reinstatement, even mentioning collective resignation. If Altman's return fails, OpenAI's very existence is at risk. Its monopoly position in the AI market would collapse, and attracting additional investments would become difficult. If Altman returns, restructuring of the board he demanded and the current governance structure where the nonprofit holds all decision-making power will be inevitable. As the board composition, which has been cautious about AI risks, changes, it is expected to be difficult to put brakes on AI commercialization movements. WP said, "The altruistic mission of the nonprofit has always been in tension with profitability, and when pressured, the profit-making side has won," and "In a market where 'people are capital,' money will flow to where Altman is."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.