The Battle Continues: OpenAI Co-Founder Responds to Elon Musk’s ChatGPT Criticism

Elon Musk has been causing a stir on the Twitter platform with his recent tweets, aiming at ChatGPT. His criticism has sparked a flurry of reactions and discussions online, leaving many wondering what the future holds for the AI-powered language model. Musk recently criticized OpenAI for training its language models to be “woke” after the company implemented safety measures on ChatGPT that prevent the chatbot from generating potentially offensive content.

In an interview with The Information, OpenAI’s co-founder and president Greg Brockman acknowledged that the startup had “made a mistake” in response to Elon Musk’s criticism of ChatGPT.

“We made a mistake: The system we implemented did not reflect the values we intended to be in there,” Brockman, who serves as OpenAI’s president, told The Information. “And I think we were not fast enough to address that. And so I think that’s a legitimate criticism of us.”

Several ChatGPT users also criticized it for allegedly producing responses with political biases.

Last month, a Twitter user shared screenshots of a conversation with ChatGPT. The AI-powered chatbot refused to generate a positive poem about former US president Donald Trump, citing its programming to avoid creating “partisan, biased or political” content. However, the chatbot produced a complimentary poem when given the same request for the current US president Joe Biden.

Elon Musk used the Twitter platform to voice his displeasure at ChatGPT’s decision to forgo writing a poem on Trump.

Previously Elon Musk criticized the technology by tweeting, “The danger of training AI to be woke—in other words, lie—is deadly” when a user requested OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to “disable the woke settings for GPT”.

Furthermore, Musk has referred to ChatGPT as “concerning” because it refused to use a racial slur in a hypothetical and absurd situation where such language could potentially prevent millions of deaths resulting from a nuclear bomb.

Elon Musk’s Big Move

Elon Musk is currently focusing on creating an alternative to ChatGPT that would take AI chatbots to a new level. He intends to establish a state-of-the-art research lab to develop a chatbot that will rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which he has criticized for being excessively “woke” and biased.

ChatGPT has garnered significant attention and acclaim in recent times. However, as is often the case with anything gaining widespread popularity, it has faced its fair share of criticism.

ChatGPT’s Popularity

The widespread popularity of ChatGPT has spurred Microsoft to unveil an updated version of its Bing search engine, powered by OpenAI’s language model. This new version will enable users to pose conversational-style questions and receive in-depth, essay-style answers.

The upgraded Bing search engine is anticipated to comprehend query context more effectively and will provide concise answers based on authoritative sources throughout the internet. Furthermore, the new Bing will focus on delivering a conversational experience, permitting users to engage in a dialogue with the search engine and ask follow-up questions.

However, as the usage of AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT and Bing’s recently-launched chatbot that utilizes OpenAI technology, continues to grow, their limitations and imperfections have become more apparent. As a result, companies have implemented safeguards to address these concerns.

After the release of the AI-powered Bing chatbot, Microsoft imposed limits on the number of questions users could ask, with a maximum of 50 questions per day and five questions per session. However, due to user demand for longer conversations with the ChatGPT-powered Bing, Microsoft is lifting those restrictions just four days after implementation.

Based on Brockman’s remarks, ChatGPT is still a work in progress, and the platform will likely undergo further development.

Brockman told The Information that their objective is to avoid an AI showing partiality towards a specific direction. The primary aim is to establish a default personality for OpenAI that treats all parties fairly. However, defining this objective practically is challenging, and they are still working towards achieving it.

Bottom Line

ChatGPT faces criticism from various sources, including users who find its responses inadequate or unsatisfactory or individuals who question its role and impact in the larger scheme of things. In addition, some may argue that relying on ChatGPT for answers and guidance could result in a loss of critical thinking abilities or possibly make one less competitive in certain sectors. 

Despite these criticisms, it is essential to note that ChatGPT has also been lauded for its ability to provide accessible and accurate information to users worldwide. In addition, its sophisticated natural language processing algorithms and vast knowledge base make it a valuable resource for those seeking answers to complex questions.

As with any tool, ChatGPT’s usefulness and impact depend on how it is utilized. While it may not be perfect, it has undoubtedly made significant strides in advancing conversational AI and expanding access to knowledge for millions of people.

As the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter, Musk is known for his bold statements and controversial opinions, and his Twitter account is the perfect platform for him to express them. So as the battle continues, let’s see what the response of OpenAI’s co-founder brings to Elon Musk’s next tweet.