But when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was asked for his thoughts on how the spread of AI-generated misinformation could affect elections, the tech leader seemed more concerned about another issue: impact of AI on the economy.
“What worries me most right now is the nature, speed and magnitude of the socio-economic change that this could have, and what impacts that will be,” Altman said Tuesday during from a Brooking’s Institute panel on AI and geopolitics.
Altman said discussions around AI’s effect on the economy – such as how the technology could lead to massive replacement of jobs – went out this year compared to last year. He worries about what might happen if people don’t take these concerns seriously.
“GPT-4 didn’t have this huge detectable impact on the economy, and so people were like, ‘Well, we were too worried about that, and that’s not a problem,'” Altman said during the panel, referring to the language model that powers ChatGPT. “I’m afraid we won’t take this seriously enough in the future, and it’s a very important problem.”
Altman did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider before publication when asked why he thought this would be a problem.
New research reveals how AI can disrupt the economy. An International Monetary Fund study earlier this year found that AI could impact around 60% of jobs in “advanced economies”. About half of these jobs can be automated, the IMF writes, which could lead to fewer hirings and lower wages. In turn, almost 12 million American workers They may have to change jobs by 2030, according to a separate McKinsey study.
Workers already seem to be feeling the effects of AI on their jobs. Some CEOs say they have replaced their staff with an AI chatbot, and some professionals have reported having work lost to tools like ChatGPT.
AI does not spell disaster for all workers. Those who are optimistic about AI say that knowing how to use the technology can help employees save time and increase productivity. They can even move up the corporate ladder and earn more money.
But Altman said he’s still concerned about AI’s potential in the job market. Last year, he told CNBC in an interview that he was a “a little scared” from ChatGPT, warning that the creation of his company could “eliminate” many jobs.
“I think if I said I wasn’t, you wouldn’t have to trust me, or be very unhappy about being in this position,” Altman said.
