Barry Diller trusts Sam Altman. But ‘trust is irrelevant’ as AGI nears, he says.

Billionaire media executive Barry Diller expressed his confidence in OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, during a recent appearance at The Wall Street Journal’s "Future of Everything" conference. Despite criticisms from some former colleagues who have labeled Altman as manipulative, Diller believes that trust in individual leaders is not the core issue as artificial intelligence evolves. When asked if society should rely on Altman to steer AI development towards benefitting humanity, Diller emphasized that the real concern lies in the unpredictable consequences of AI technology itself. He pointed to the concept of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), suggesting that its potential to surpass human abilities brings with it a host of unknowns. Diller stated, "One of the big issues with AI is it goes way beyond trust. It may be that trust is irrelevant because the things that are happening are a surprise to the people who are making those things happen." He noted that even the creators of AI are often filled with wonder and uncertainty about the future. Highlighting the transformative impact of AI, Diller remarked, "We have embarked on something that is going to change almost everything. It is not under-reported. Progress is going to be made, regardless of my personal investment." He reassured that the majority of AI leaders, including Altman, are genuinely committed to ethical stewardship and possess good values. However, he stressed the need for caution, warning that as humanity approaches the development of AGI, it is crucial to implement protective measures. Diller cautioned, "If we don’t think about guardrails, another force—an AGI force—will do it themselves. And once that happens, there’s no going back." He underscored the urgency of addressing these issues as technology advances rapidly.