On the creative front, Sora, OpenAI’s AI video generator, is poised to revolutionise how we create and consume video content. Sora can generate realistic videos from text prompts, opening up new possibilities for filmmakers, advertisers and everyday users.

Its integration with ChatGPT highlights the growing trend of multimodal AI, where text, images and videos become interchangeable.

Read more: 7 short video ideas for businesses to level up their social media game

While tools like Sora are already pushing the boundaries of AI creativity, Altman believes that we are on the cusp of an even more profound transformation: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), the point where AI can perform intellectual tasks at a human level.

He describes it as being able to “do what very skilled humans in important jobs can do”. Imagine, he suggests, hiring “an AI as a remote employee to be a great software engineer”. This, he believes, would be “AGI-ish”.

This transition to AGI, Altman predicts, will happen “sooner than most people in the world think”, leading to rapid changes in the economy and job market. However, others in the industry believe that AGI is still a few decades away. 

While he acknowledges some near-term disruption, he believes the real upheaval will come with the step after AGI, “superintelligence”—perhaps leading to the singularity (a hypothetical point where AI surpasses human intelligence and triggers an uncontrollable acceleration of technological growth) his X post alludes to.

“Superintelligence” refers to AI that can think and reason with an intellect far, far superior to ours. Think Skynet in The Terminator. 

Read more: Responsible AI pioneer Dr Rumman Chowdhury on what she wants everyone to know about AI

At the New York Times DealBook Summit in 2024, he mentioned that we need concerted government action to build safety nets. “True superintelligence—the system that is not just smarter than you and smarter than me, but smarter than all of us put together, just unbelievable capability—even if we can make that technically safe, which I assume we’ll figure out, we are going to have some faith in our governments.”

His concerns about safety and control have been vague and overly optimistic so far. Critics argue that his reliance on government intervention is unrealistic, given the slow pace of institutional change and the challenges of global coordination. They also express concerns about the potential for AI bias, misuse and unintended consequences, which Altman’s ambiguous assurances fail to address.

He has also mentioned, somewhat naively, his “faith that researchers will figure out how to avoid” the existential threats posed by superintelligent AI. He believes in the power of deep learning to solve these “very hard problems”, a somewhat paradoxical stance that relies on the very technology that poses the risks to also provide the solutions. 

Beyond the existential questions, the rapid advancement of AI brings other challenges. One concern is the use of copyrighted material to train AI models. Altman proposes a “new deal” for creators. “I think we do need a new [standard] for how creators are going to get rewarded. We need to find new economic models where creators can have new revenue streams.”

Read more: Will AI help or hinder trust in science?

There are also concerns about AI’s environmental impact, particularly its growing energy consumption. Despite these challenges, Altman remains optimistic about the future of AI. He envisions a world of “astounding triumphs”, where the technology helps us solve pressing problems like climate change and explore new frontiers such as space colonisation. He believes it will amplify our abilities and usher in an era of increased prosperity.

“People have an innate desire to create and to be useful to each other,” Altman said. “And AI will allow us to amplify our own abilities like never before.” He paints a picture of an “expanding world”, where we can focus on “playing positive-sum games” and achieving unimaginable prosperity.

Now meet innovative dreamers who are revolutionising technology across Asia on the Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow list. 

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