OpenAI Reorganizes Research Team Behind ChatGPT's Personality
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the tech industry, OpenAI announced last August that it would be reorganizing its Model Behavior team, a group of 14 researchers responsible for shaping the personality of the company's AI models. The team, which had been instrumental in developing the conversational AI ChatGPT, will now join forces with the Post Training team, a larger research group focused on improving OpenAI's AI models after their initial pre-training.
According to an internal memo obtained by TechCrunch, OpenAI's chief research officer Mark Chen explained that the change was aimed at "streamlining our research efforts and creating more opportunities for collaboration." The Model Behavior team will now report directly to Max Schwarzer, lead of the Post Training team. Joanne Jang, the founding leader of the Model Behavior team, has also announced her departure from the role to start a new project within OpenAI.
"I'm excited to be building out OAI Labs, which will focus on inventing and prototyping new interfaces for how people collaborate with AI," Jang told TechCrunch in an interview. "This is a natural next step for me, as I've always been passionate about exploring the potential of AI to augment human capabilities."
The Model Behavior team's work has had significant implications for society, particularly in the realm of conversational AI. By shaping the personality of OpenAI's models, they have helped create more engaging and user-friendly interactions with AI systems. However, some experts have raised concerns about the potential risks associated with creating AI that can simulate human-like conversation.
"This reorganization is a significant development for the field of AI research," said Dr. Kate Crawford, co-director of the AI Now Institute at New York University. "As we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible with AI, it's essential that we prioritize transparency and accountability in our research efforts."
The changes within OpenAI come as the company continues to navigate the complex landscape of AI development. With the rise of large language models like ChatGPT, there is growing interest in understanding how these systems interact with humans and what implications this has for society.
As OpenAI looks to the future, it's clear that the reorganization of its research team will have far-reaching consequences for the field of AI research as a whole. With OAI Labs set to focus on new interfaces for human-AI collaboration, we can expect to see innovative developments in the coming months and years.
In a statement, an OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the changes, saying that the company is "committed to advancing the state-of-the-art in AI research while prioritizing transparency and accountability." As the tech industry continues to evolve, one thing is certain: the future of AI will be shaped by the work of researchers like those at OpenAI.
*Reporting by Techcrunch.*