Something wicked this way comes ...

Off in the distance ...

For years, yours truly has waxed "poetic" about AI, the open-ended tech forever to remain unknown thanks to how the tech works in order to react to the real world in real time but in this case, it's not the architecture of same being discussed but rather the risk, particularly when some purveyors of such tech cannot be trusted in any way, shape or fashion.

To whit ...

For about five years, OpenAI used a system of nondisclosure agreements to stifle public criticism from outgoing employees. Current and former OpenAI staffers were paranoid about talking to the press. In May, one departing employee refused to sign and went public in The Times. The company apologized and scrapped the agreements. Then the floodgates opened. Exiting employees began criticizing OpenAI’s safety practices, and a wave of articles emerged about its broken promises.

These stories came from people who were willing to risk their careers to inform the public. How many more are silenced because they’re too scared to speak out? Since existing whistle-blower protections typically cover only the reporting of illegal conduct, they are inadequate here. Artificial intelligence can be dangerous without being illegal. A.I. needs stronger protections — like those in place in parts of the public sector, finance and publicly traded companies — that prohibit retaliation and establish anonymous reporting channels.

OpenAI has spent the last year mired in scandal. The company’s chief executive was briefly fired after the nonprofit board lost trust in him. Whistle-blowers alleged to the Securities and Exchange Commission that OpenAI’s nondisclosure agreements were illegal. Safety researchers have left the company in droves. Now the firm is restructuring its core business as a for-profit, seemingly prompting the departure of more key leaders. On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI rushed testing of a major model in May, attempting to undercut a rival’s publicity; after the release, employees found out the model exceeded the company’s standards for safety. (The company told The Journal the findings were the result of a methodological flaw.)

This behavior would be concerning in any industry, but according to OpenAI itself, A.I. poses unique risks. The leaders of the top A.I. firms and leading A.I. researchers have warned that the technology could lead to human extinction.

Something wicked this way comes.