OpenAI, the AI research powerhouse, has ventured into the realm of social media with its latest offering, Sora. This new app, akin to TikTok but powered by AI, has sparked a whirlwind of reactions, ranging from enthusiasm to apprehension, both within and outside the company.
Sora, launched on September 30, is OpenAI’s most significant foray into consumer entertainment. It’s a platform brimming with AI-generated video clips, including a generous sprinkling of Sam Altman deepfakes. The app has everyone from current employees to former researchers engaged in heated discussions on Twitter about its implications.
John Hallman, a researcher at OpenAI, candidly expressed his unease about the launch, admitting, “AI-based feeds are scary.” However, he acknowledged the team’s efforts to design Sora responsibly, stating, “I think the team did the absolute best job they possible could in designing a positive experience.”
Harvard professor and OpenAI researcher Boaz Barak echoed this sentiment, noting a mix of excitement and dread. He warned that it’s too early to celebrate, given the pitfalls of platforms like Facebook and TikTok.
Meanwhile, some former OpenAI researchers are using this moment to promote their alternatives. Rohan Pandey, a former researcher, plugged his new startup, Periodic Labs. The company focuses on using AI for scientific discovery, a stark contrast to what Pandey sees as “the infinite AI TikTok slop machine.”
This drama underscores a recurring question about OpenAI’s identity: is it a nonprofit research lab dedicated to mitigating AI risks, or the world’s fastest-growing consumer tech company?
CEO Sam Altman weighed in, insisting that Sora is a fun side project. He argued that it helps showcase new tech and raise funds for OpenAI’s more serious AI research, particularly in the realm of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
However, critics argue that this is a familiar path trodden by social media giants. They started as seemingly innocuous platforms, only to later reshape society in profound ways. OpenAI promises that Sora won’t optimize for addictiveness and plans to nudge users when they’ve been scrolling too long. Yet, the app already incorporates dopamine-bait mechanics like emoji bursts for likes.
One day old and still in its infancy, Sora’s launch signals OpenAI’s entry into a contentious space. It remains to be seen whether Sora is a harmless way to fund serious AI research or the beginning of another addictive social media platform we’ll come to regret.
The debate raises broader questions: Should AI companies be building consumer entertainment apps at all? Or does this distract from their stated mission of developing safe AGI? The conversation is far from over, and it’s one we should all be a part of. Share your thoughts in the comments, or continue the discussion on our Twitter or Facebook page.
