Elon Musk announced “TruthGPT.” He wants it to be an alternative to ChatGPT, focusing on being a “max truth-seeking AI.” He spilled the beans while chattin’ it up with Tucker Carlson on Fox News, explaining why we need a different AI approach to save humanity from potential doom.
Musk said, “I wanna kick off this thing I call TruthGPT, an AI that’s all about figuring out the universe.” He believes that if an AI is more into learning about the universe, it will only be keen on wiping us out since we’re a pretty exciting part of it. He compared this to how humans try to protect chimps, despite some drama around Neuralink’s treatment of the animals. “We know we could just wipe out all the chimps, but we actually like having them around, and we try to keep their habitats safe,” Musk explained.
TruthGPT could steer clear of the path taken by OpenAI, the nonprofit Musk helped set up that now also runs a for-profit side. He hinted that OpenAI’s quest for cash might taint the ethics of the AI it develops, and he thinks “TruthGPT” could be a more open and honest choice.
This ain’t the first time Musk has brought up “TruthGPT.” In February, he tweeted, “We need TruthGPT,” highlighting the dangers of huge AI models like those made by OpenAI.
In March, he and many AI experts signed an open letter urging companies to slow down on “giant AI experiments” that no one can “understand, predict, or reliably control.”
Who knows how far along Musk’s “TruthGPT” project is right now or if it’s even a thing yet? But he seems deadly serious about it since he mentioned it during his chat with Carlson. And just last month, Musk secretly established a new AI company called X.AI.