What Is Q* (Q-Star), The Controversial AGI Model That Poses A Potential Threat To Humanity?،
Last week, OpenAI fired Sam Altman for non-candid communication with the company, following which the company hired two new interim CEOs. However, after three to four days, OpenAI had to reinstate Sam Altman as CEO due to investor pressure. However, over the course of the week-long saga, several theories about why Altman was fired have surfaced on the internet, including one about the development of an advanced AGI model that could pose a threat to humanity.
What is Q-Star?
Q* (pronounced “Q-star”) is a so-called OpenAI project. It focuses on the development of artificial general intelligence, or superintelligence, as some call it. By compiling information from multiple reports, the project has recently made significant progress, solving never before encountered mathematical problems. Typically, you need to train an AI model with a massive set of data to get it to produce the desired result. However, solving math problems during the first exposure could imply that Q* had in fact achieved superintelligence.
How did OpenAI create Q-Star?
To achieve this, OpenAI combined the Math Gen and Code Gen teams. Reports suggest that Q* has the ability to understand abstract concepts and logical reasoning. While this is a major step forward, it could lead to the AI developing its own consciousness, similar to what happened in Avengers: Age Of Ultron from the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike other models, Q* could not only train on existing data sets but, in more ways than others, think and apply reasoning to develop new things.
Is Q-Star a threat to humanity?
However, the algorithm’s ability to process a large amount of data simultaneously could easily surpass a human’s ability to input information. In other words, OpenAI researchers might worry that the AGI model will become smarter than the humans working on it and that there won’t be enough safety measures to prevent the technology from causing harm. Since OpenAI now has access to Microsoft hardware, a potential breach could put the most powerful AI algorithm and a universe of advanced computing systems at risk.
OpenAI has not confirmed the existence of Q-Star
However, OpenAI has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of such a project, leading to countless speculations. One of these theories explains how technology could lead to intelligent machines surpassing human intelligence. Community forums and social platforms are full of people comparing this to Skynet. This fictional AI system took control of machines and programmed them to eliminate humans from the popular Hollywood franchise Terminator.
Did Q-Star lead to Altman’s firing?
Reports suggest that OpenAI’s previous board was concerned about how the technology was evolving at a rapid pace and could pose a threat to humanity, which could have led to a difference of opinion, which led to Sam Altman’s ouster from the company. Altman’s firing came shortly after OpenAI researchers sent a letter to the board warning them of Q*’s potential risks. It is important to mention that this is just pure speculation and neither Altman nor OpenAI have confirmed any of these theories.
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