'Superintelligence' is the next big thing for OpenAI: Sam Altman

ChatGPT maker OpenAI is now looking to develop superintelligence — AI systems with cognitive abilities far surpassing human capabilities -- across every domain, from scientific creativity to social skills, CEO Sam Altman said in a recent blogpost.

With superintelligent tools, scientific discovery and innovation could accelerate “well beyond what we are capable of doing on our own,” he said.

In a previous blog, Altman had even suggested that superintelligence might emerge in a “few thousand days.”


Altman wrote that superintelligence might sound like science fiction. “We’re pretty confident that in the next few years, everyone will see what we see, and that the need to act with great care, while still maximising broad benefit and empowerment, is so important. Given the possibilities of our work, OpenAI cannot be a normal company.”

Previously, OpenAI had also said strong public oversight is needed when it comes to governing superintelligence,, asserting that the global community should have a democratic role in determining the bounds and defaults for AI systems. The company proposed an international authority to ensure safety, regulate advanced AI and manage risks, while avoiding over-regulation of less advanced systems.

Altman also looked back on the journey of ChatGPT, which was initially dubbed “Chat With GPT-3.5.” Launched over two years ago on November 30, 2022, ChatGPT sparked a “growth curve like nothing we have ever seen,” he added.

Altman shared how the project has now “transitioned into the next paradigm of models that can do complex reasoning,” marking the ongoing shift toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

At a New York Times’s DealBook Summit last year, he speculated that AGI could potentially emerge within this year. He reaffirmed the same in the blog, saying “we may see the first AI agents “join the workforce” and materially change the output of companies.”

He also addressed various other topics, including the issue of being removed from OpenAI’s board after they "lost confidence in his leadership abilities." He described the event as a “big failure of governance by well-meaning people,” acknowledging his own role in the situation.