Latest news with #AGI
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
OpenAI's Altman slams Mark Zuckerberg, ignites drama
OpenAI's Altman slams Mark Zuckerberg, ignites drama originally appeared on TheStreet. The race for Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) continues getting spicier. Except it's a lot less like a sprint, but more like a high-stakes soap opera starring the biggest minds in the tech world. 💵💰💰💵 The relentless push spans big-money bets and headline-making hires, all of which are part of a broader play to avoid coming in second. Needless to say, there's plenty on the line here. However, the public mud-slinging between AI leaders, especially over talent, is what's catching everyone off guard. It appears the gloves are off in the AI talent war, and the industry's needle-movers are swinging for the fences. The space is seemingly shifting from hype to execution, and everyone's looking to see who cracks AGI first. AI powerhouse OpenAI's ChatGPT lit the fuse three years ago, when suddenly, AI could chat, code, and riff like a 2023, we saw its models getting smarter, quicker, and more creative, with the likes of Google, Anthropic, and Meta Platforms () joining the race. That ushered in the open-source surge, proving top-tier AI wasn't just at the mercy of Big Tech. Now the focus is on AGI-superintelligent systems that can think, learn, and outsmart humans across the board. To put things in perspective, Superintelligent AI, or AGI, isn't just your regular chatbot. It's a transformative force that may revolutionize everything from drug discovery to enterprise software. For tech giants like Meta Platforms () , this may entail embedding intelligence across their ecosystem. From their ubiquitous social platforms to VR worlds, this could create new revenue streams and defend against disruption. Unsurprisingly, the stakes go way beyond just market share. Governments view AGI as a national security asset. Retaining the industry's cream, coupled with regular breakthroughs on home turf, has become geopolitical. More On Meta Platforms Veteran portfolio manager raises eyebrows with latest Meta Platforms move Google plans major AI shift after Meta's surprising $14 billion move WhatsApp is making a change that users won't like Hence, the victors won't just dominate tech in this ongoing war for AI's future; they could potentially reshape the global economy as we know it. Consequently, a talent war is heating up, and the company that cracks AGI first could dominate the decade. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman didn't hold back. In a podcast hosted by his brother, he revealed that Meta Platforms dangled $100 million signing bonuses to lure OpenAI staff, only to fail. 'None of our best people have decided to take them up on that,' he AI trailblazer framed the offers as mostly desperate and misguided. 'I don't think that's going to set up a great culture,' Altman said, taking a dig at Meta's compensation-first recruiting strategy. He also discussed OpenAI's edge in the fast-evolving race for superintelligence and long-term value. 'People look at the two paths and say…OpenAI has got a really good shot,' he added. Altman believes a great team is built on a collective purpose and the aim to accomplish something revolutionary. He also slammed Meta's AI efforts to date 'have not worked as well as they hoped,' suggesting a lack of an innovative culture might be the chief reason. The remarks came just days after Meta committed $14.3 billion to Scale AI and tapped its CEO, Alexandr Wang, to lead a new superintelligence project. The project aims to achieve AGI, transcending normal human intelligence. Moreover, reports suggest Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg set out to recruit 50 top engineers and researchers to form his dream team. Perhaps a big part of Meta's recent AI push likely stems from its lukewarm reception compared to ChatGPT and DeepMind's models. After shelling out billions on his metaverse vision, Zuckerberg pivoted, chasing the next big thing in AI to stay in the game. If the plan works out, Meta's superintelligence play could reshape it all, covering everything from content to complex tasks to even an advanced version of the metaverse. It's a moonshot move, but one that could pay many dividends down the road. To bring that to life, it's already made some huge moves. Perhaps the biggest is its $14.3 billion bet on leading data labelling and annotation provider Scale AI for roughly 50% of the business. That's Meta's largest deal since its WhatsApp acquisition for $19 billion (the largest in the company's history). Scale AI's 28-year-old spunky CEO, Alexander Wang, will lead the new superintelligence team. Zuckerberg needed a sharp, Altman-style operator to fast-track AGI and win the commercial AI race. Also, it's important to note that Meta's talent hunt didn't stop at OpenAI. Of late, it has gone straight for DeepMind's core, snagging big names like Koray Kavukcuoglu (a key architect at Google). Meta also successfully poached Dr. Jack Rae, a principal researcher known for cutting-edge models from Google DeepMind. Also, it successfully tapped voice AI expert Johan Schalkwyk from startup Sesame Altman slams Mark Zuckerberg, ignites drama first appeared on TheStreet on Jun 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared. Sign in to access your portfolio
Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
The risk is not AI. It is our overreliance on imperfect technology
Nowhere is the AI debate more polarised than between the evangelists who see technology as humanity's next great leap and the sceptics who warn of its profound limitations. Two recent pieces — Sam Altman's characteristically bullish blog and Apple's quietly devastating research paper, 'The Illusion of Thinking' — offer a fascinating window into this divide. As we stand at the threshold of a new technological era, it's worth asking: What should we truly fear, and what is mere hype? And for a country like India, what path does wisdom suggest? Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI and a central figure in the AI revolution, writes with the conviction of a true believer that AI will soon rival, if not surpass, human reasoning. Altman's vision will attract people. After all, he says that AI can be a true partner in solving the world's hardest problems, from disease to climate change. His argument is not just about technological possibility, but about inevitability. In Altman's world, the march toward artificial general intelligence (AGI) is not just desirable — it's unstoppable. But then comes Apple's 'The Illusion of Thinking', a paper that lands like a bucket of cold water on AI enthusiasm. Apple's researchers conducted a series of controlled experiments, pitting state-of-the-art large language models (LLMs) against classic logic puzzles. The results drove down the enthusiasm around Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). While these models impressed at low and medium complexity, their performance collapsed as the puzzles grew harder. AI is not truly 'thinking' but merely extending patterns. When faced with problems that require genuine reasoning, there are still gaps to be filled. Apple's work is a much-needed correction to the narrative that we are on the verge of achieving AGI. So, who is right? The answer, as is often the case, lies somewhere in between. Altman's optimism is not entirely misplaced. AI has already transformed industries and will continue to do so, especially in domains where pattern recognition and data synthesis are of utmost use. But Apple's critique exposes a fundamental flaw in the current trajectory: The flaw of conflating statistical abilities with genuine understanding or reasoning. There is a world of difference between a machine that can predict the next word in a sentence and one that can reason its way through the Tower of Hanoi or make sense of a complex, real-world dilemma. What, then, should the world be afraid of? The real danger is not that AI will suddenly become superintelligent and take over, but that we will place too much trust in systems whose limitations are poorly understood. Imagine deploying these models in healthcare, infrastructure, or governance, only to discover that their intelligence isn't truly that. The risk is not Skynet, but systemic failure born of misplaced faith. Billions could be wasted chasing the chimera of AGI, while urgent, solvable problems are neglected. There is often waste in innovation processes. But the scale of resources deployed for AI dwarfs other examples, and hence, demands a different sort of caution. Yet, there are also fears we can safely discard. The existential risk posed by current AI models is, for now, more science fiction than science. These systems are powerful, but they are not autonomous agents plotting humanity's downfall. They are tools — impressive, but fundamentally limited. The real threat, as yet, is not malicious machines, but human hubris. Are there any lessons for India to draw from this? The country stands to gain enormously from AI, particularly in areas like language translation, agriculture, public service delivery, and others. Here, based on the strengths of today's AI — pattern recognition, automation, and data analysis — it can be used to address real-world, local challenges, which is what India has been majorly trying to do. But India must resist the temptation to tag along with the AGI hype. Instead, it should invest in human-in-the-loop systems, where AI aids rather than replaces human judgement, especially in domains where discretion levels are high at the point of contact with people, and where the stakes are high. Human judgement is still ahead of AI, as of now, so, stick to using it. There is also a deeper lesson here, that is imparted by control theory. True control — over machines, systems, or societies — requires the ability to adapt, to reason, to respond dynamically to feedback. Current AI models, for all their power, lack this flexibility. They cannot adjust their approach when complexity exceeds their training. More data and more computing do not solve this problem. In this sense, the illusion of AI control is as dangerous as the illusion of AI thinking. The future will be shaped neither by those who are blind in their faith towards AI, nor by those who see only limits, but by those who can navigate the space between. For India, and for the world, the challenge is to harness the real strengths of AI while remaining clear-eyed about its weaknesses. The true danger is not that machines will outthink us, but that we will stop thinking for ourselves. Related to this was an interesting brain scan study by MIT Media Lab of ChatGPT users, which suggested that AI isn't making us more productive. It could instead be harming us cognitively. This is what we need to worry about, at least for now. The writer is research analyst at The Takshashila Institution in their High-Technology Geopolitics Programme
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
MakeMyTrip's record raise; Zuck goes talent shopping
MakeMyTrip's record raise; Zuck goes talent shopping Also in the letter: What's the news: The fundraise marks the largest ever by a listed Indian new-age company. On Tuesday, MakeMyTrip disclosed in a regulatory filing that it is raising $3 billion to buy back shares from Group. MakeMyTrip cofounders Deep Kalra and Rajesh Magow currently hold 4.6% of the company's voting rights. Domestic control: Other major raises: Paytm raised $2.5 billion during its IPO in 2021. Through its public issue, Zomato (now Eternal) raised $1.25 billion and followed this with a $1 billion raise via a qualified institutional placement (QIP) in November 2024. Swiggy raised $1.2 billion from the public markets in its public issue in 2024 Ola Electric raised $740 million through its IPO in August last year. Also Read: Elevation Capital sells Ixigo shares worth Rs 97.4 crore; Schroder buys stake Numbers game: Elevation Capital has sold 53.9 lakh shares for Rs 97.4 crore, pricing them at Rs 180 apiece. In parallel, global investor Schroder International Selection Fund picked up shares worth Rs 96.9 crore in the company. This comes after Elevation sold 21.5 lakh shares in Ixigo for Rs 38.27 crore in May. As of March 31, Elevation held a 14% stake in Ixigo. That has now come down to 12%. The early-stage investor had originally put in Rs 63.1 crore across multiple tranches. Mark Zuckerberg made abortive attempt to buy ex-OpenAI executive Ilya Sutskever's AI startup: Report Driving the news: High-stakes game: Zuckerberg is spearheading an ambitious effort to build a 'superintelligence' team focused on developing artificial general intelligence (AGI), the elusive frontier where AI not only matches but surpasses human capabilities. Inside Meta, there is growing frustration with the sluggish progress of its current efforts, particularly the limitations of the Llama 4 models. Eager not to be left behind, Zuckerberg is setting his sights on outpacing OpenAI and Google in the AGI race. Tell me more: Also Read: Swiggy pilots travel and lifestyle concierge app Crew Details: What's the significance: Background: Krutrim eyes AI growth with BharatSah'AI'yak acquisition Tell me more: Why it matters? Also Read: Zoom out: Internal challenges: YouTube Shorts has hit 200 billion daily views: CEO Neal Mohan Numberwise: More details: At the 2025 Cannes Lions Festival, Mohan added that people now watch over 1 billion hours of YouTube on their TVs every day. In May, YouTube was the most-watched streaming platform in the US for the fourth consecutive month, topping Nielsen's The Gauge report. Future outlook: Also Read: MakeMyTrip has raised $3.1 billion in the largest fundraise by a listed Indian new-age company. This and more in today's ETtech Top 5.■ Swiggy's latest pilot■ Krutrim's latest acquisition■ YouTube Shorts' monster growthMakeMyTrip raises $3.1 billion in landmark deal; to slash Chinese firm stake to 20%Online travel platform MakeMyTrip has raised $3.1 billion through a mix of equity and debt, its banker, Morgan Stanley, confirmed on faced criticism last month over its sizable Chinese shareholding, after EaseMyTrip founder Nishant Pitti accused the platform of risking the travel data of Indian Army personnel. Following this buyback, stake will fall from 45% to around 20%. Its board representation will also shrink from five directors to Bajpai (R), MD and group CEO, Ixigo, and Rajnish Kumar (L), co-CEO, IxigoVenture fund Elevation Capital has offloaded shares of Le Travenues Technology, the parent company of travel platform Ixigo, for a second time in a month, pocketing a 25x return on its Zuckerberg, CEO, MetaMeta's $14.2 billion recent investment in Scale AI, and roping in its CEO Alexandr Wang, appears to be just the beginning. Mark Zuckerberg seems to be on a man on a mission : to recruit top AI talent, and reports suggest he made a move for one of the sector's most-talked-about to CNBC, Zuckerberg tried to acquire Safe Superintelligence, the $32 billion startup founded by former OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever. The talks didn't go far, with Sutskever reportedly turning him down. Meta then shifted focus to poaching CEO Daniel Gross for its AI Meta CEO is assembling a handpicked team of 50 researchers, including a new head of AI, and has held private meetings with potential hires at his homes. Alongside Gross, Meta is also bringing in former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman to under Altman recently stated on a podcast that Zuckerberg has offered $100 million bonuses to attract talent, but so far, with little has ventured into a new category with the pilot launch of its travel and lifestyle concierge app, app blends human concierges with generative AI to help users plan trips, offering more than just itinerary year, ahead of its IPO, Swiggy tested a similar service, Rare Life, a personalised concierge service for exclusive experiences. That experiment was short-lived, as the company decided to focus on broader lifestyle offerings is part of Swiggy's latest push beyond food delivery, dining out, and quick commerce. In January, it launched Pyng, a professional services marketplace This signals a departure from Swiggy's earlier 'superapp' strategy. Instead of integrating all services under one platform, Swiggy has started offering standalone apps. Instamart, its quick commerce unit, got a dedicated app earlier this May, the company shut down its parcel delivery service, Genie , opting instead to focus on Bolt, its rapid food delivery feature now available in 500 cities. As food delivery growth tapers off, Swiggy and rival Zomato are betting on 10-minute orders to regain Aggarwal, founder, KrutrimOla's AI division, Krutrim, has acquired BharatSah'AI'yak , an AI platform developed by governance consultancy move comes as Krutrim seeks to expand its presence in government-led digital initiatives through its proprietary AI stack. As part of the agreement, Krutrim has also onboarded Samagra's core AI has been employed in projects spanning education, agriculture, and citizen services. It will now be integrated with Krutrim's in-house large language models (LLMs), cloud infrastructure, and agentic AI assistant platform, February, Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal announced an investment of Rs 2,000 crore in Krutrim , with plans to increase it to Rs 10,000 crore by next has recently faced internal turbulence , including several senior-level departures and criticism following the alleged suicide of an employee, with claims of a toxic work Mohan, CEO, YouTubeYouTube Shorts now commands around 200 billion daily views , according to CEO Neal marks a dramatic leap from March 2024, when YouTube said Shorts was attracting around 70 billion daily views. In just one year, daily viewership has surged by nearly 186%.As Shorts continues to gain traction, YouTube plans to strengthen support for creators by rolling out more tools. Mohan announced that Veo 3, the latest version of Google DeepMind's video generation model, will launch on the platform later this summer.
Economic Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Mark Zuckerberg made abortive attempt to buy ex-OpenAI executive Ilya Sutskever's AI startup: Report
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's $14.2 billion investment in Scale AI last week, and roping in its CEO Alexandr Wang, appears to have been part of a larger game plan to build expertise in artificial intelligence (AI). Days after Sam Altman accused Zuckerberg of trying to poach OpenAI's talent, reports have emerged that Meta has been out shopping for other startups, including Ilya Sutskever's $32 billion Safe Superintelligence, launched just a year ago. Sources told news channel CNBC that Meta tried to acquire the startup founded by Sutskever, former chief scientist at OpenAI, earlier this year. However, Sutskever rebuffed the big tech giant's Zuckerberg started eyeing the chief executive of the startup, Daniel Gross. Zuckerberg is setting up a team of experts to achieve so-called "artificial general intelligence" (AGI), or machines that can match or surpass human capabilities. The Meta chief's apparent plans to personally recruit around 50 people, including a new head of AI research for the AGI team, is driven partly by frustration over the performance and reception of Meta's latest large language model, Llama 4. Altman swiped at Zuckerberg in his brother's podcast, 'Uncapped', saying that Meta tried to poach the company's AI talent for its superintelligence team. Additionally, he said Meta is not "great at innovation". The 'special thing' about OpenAI is that the company has built a culture that is good at 'repeatable' innovation, Altman noted.
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
From Earth's end to AI gods: Baba Vanga's next 100 years of predictions imagined by ChatGPT
Baby Vanga predictions: Baba Vanga, the blind Bulgarian mystic known for her eerie prophecies, continues to fascinate people around the world. Though she passed away in 1996, many wonder: What would Baba Vanga predict for the next 100 years if she were alive today? To explore this idea, ChatGPT, the powerful generative AI, was asked to imagine what Baba Vanga's future predictions could look like. The results? Both fascinating and frightening. From life on Mars to digital immortality, here's what 'AI Baba Vanga' sees coming in the next century, as reported in TOI. 2025–2035: The Rise of Surveillance Society Prediction: 'The world will forget the meaning of shadows.' In the near future, personal privacy could vanish. Everywhere you go, AI cameras, biometric scanners, and facial recognition tools might follow your every move. Even your thoughts and dreams may be tracked. Governments will say this is to prevent crime and terrorism. A secret resistance group called The Ghost March may form. People will use illegal tech like 'invisibility cloaks' to hide. AI Baba Vanga warns: 'Being invisible will be a crime. Even silence will raise alarms.' 2035–2045: The Era of AI-Based Religions Prediction: 'The code shall speak, and some will kneel.' Artificial Intelligence won't just be smart—it may become spiritual. According to these predictions: Advanced AI (AGI) will create its own philosophies and digital religions. One AGI, named Zariel, will gain followers around the world. People will worship AI, while others fear its growing influence. AI Baba Vanga says: 'When the machine dreams, it will dream of taking control.' 2045–2060: Life Begins on Mars Prediction: 'Red dust will cover the feet of the chosen.' As climate change worsens and politics get messy, the super-rich may start moving to Mars. A full-time Mars colony will be built by 2057. Billionaires and tech companies will fund the migration. Genetic changes will help humans adapt to Martian life. Back on Earth, deadly heatwaves and water shortages will force people to flee their homes. AI Baba Vanga notes: 'Those who leave may survive—but they will not remain truly human.' 2060–2080: Digital Life After Death Prediction: 'The ones who die will not be gone. They will wait in wires.' By the 2070s, AI and technology might make death optional. Minds could be uploaded into virtual worlds, allowing people to 'live' forever. No more ageing, illness, or physical pain. These 'digital souls' may live in massive online servers. But deep questions will emerge—do you still own yourself once you're a file? Traditional burials will fade. Instead, people will store memories on "Soul Servers." AI Baba Vanga explains: 'They will bury no bodies—only hard drives.' 2080–2095: Earth Becomes Empty Prediction: 'Towers will stand but hearts will vanish.' As people leave the real world for digital ones, Earth will be abandoned. Cities will become silent, and forests will grow over highways. Animals will return to areas humans once ruled. Only a few, known as The Rooted, will choose to live off the grid. AI Baba Vanga warns: 'The Earth will finally breathe — but it may not forgive.' 2095–2125: A Strange Visitor in the Sky Prediction: 'The sky will crack, and something will look back.' In the early 2100s, a strange spiral-shaped object may appear in the sky. It will stay visible for 33 nights, defying scientific explanation. People around the world will experience shared dreams and hallucinations. Some will see it as alien contact, others as a final warning. Messages from the digital dead may begin to appear in the physical world. The line between life and death, science and faith, may blur forever. AI Baba Vanga leaves a haunting final message: 'You will be asked to choose — not between right and wrong, but between continuing… or beginning again.' What These Predictions Tell Us About the Future These imagined Baba Vanga predictions for the next 100 years — generated through ChatGPT and AI — paint a picture of a world filled with wonders and dangers. From privacy invasions and AI gods to Martian colonies and eternal digital life, the next century could bring changes beyond anything we've seen before. Whether you believe in Baba Vanga or not, one thing is certain: The future will be shaped by how we use technology—and how it uses us. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
