Media reports have revealed new details regarding OpenAI's forthcoming model, codenamed Strawberry, and its next large-language model (LLM) Orion. Strawberry — capable of more complex reasoning — is reportedly being pushed for ChatGPT integration this fall.
The existence of Strawberry, formerly known as Q*, was first reported by Reuters this July, with unnamed OpenAI sources saying it could handle complex math and science problems beyond what their current products are able to solve. Being able to plan ahead and browse the internet autonomously are reportedly key targets for Strawberry.
The news of Strawberry's accelerated development, coupled with the precarious financial situation of OpenAI, gives us much reason to worry. In order to secure funding, the company may be rushing a problem without proper safeguards, and could unleash the most powerful AI model the world has yet seen with little warning. We must scrutinize OpenAI's practices closely, as even former employees say that safety has taken a backseat to profit.
AI is facing a reckoning, though one regarding its deficiencies as opposed to its potentially life-altering abilities. The truth is that AI has become very good at producing garbage, and significant investment is needed to get it past this hump, according to projections. The claims of AGI posing an existential risk are much exaggerated, and we need to keep pushing forward with new products, like Strawberry, that get us closer to AI being useful for humanity at large.