OpenAI COO says AI for business overhyped; reveals details of CEO Sam Altman ouster

AI for businesses is much sought after, but is this technology overrated? OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap certainly thinks so. He makes some revelations on Sam Altman ouster too.

OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap speaks on AI for business and CEO Sam Altman ouster. (AFP)

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the buzzword of 2023, with the world's biggest companies launching their suite of AI services not just for consumers, but for businesses as well. While AI technology has been growing for some time, it is safe to say that this revolution really kicked off when OpenAI launched its AI chatbot ChatGPT in November 2022. Since then, rapid advancements have taken place in the field, with companies like Microsoft and Google releasing their AI services. AI for business has also become highly sought after, with companies leveraging the new tech to grow their business and offer more services to consumers. However, OpenAI Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap thinks this technology is overhyped. He also revealed some details about the shock resignation and the eventual return of CEO Sam Altman.

AI for businesses

In an interview with CNBC, Lightcap was asked about the most overhyped and underhyped aspects of AI. Talking about the former, Lightcap said that AI won't “deliver substantive business change”. Expanding on the same, the OpenAI COO said that businesses who wish to cut costs or grow their revenue can't solely depend on AI as it won't solve the problem in full. AI technology is still in its infancy and is evolving, Lightcap said.

On the other hand, the most underhyped aspect of AI is the individual empowerment it provides to the end user, according to Lightcap. AI tools allow users to do things they couldn't before.

On Adoption of AI

OpenAI recently revealed that 92 percent of Fortune 500 companies had adopted ChatGPT. Lightcap was asked about what the remaining 8 percent industries could be, and the OpenAI COO thinks it could be heavy machinery industries or capital-intensive industries such as oil and gas which are more centered around production and less around services. These haven't adopted ChatGPT yet.

On Sam Altman

OpenAI has been through somewhat of a rollercoaster in the last few weeks, with the board ousting CEO Sam Altman, then Altman joining Microsoft, before finally being back at OpenAI while the board stepped down. Lightcap was asked about how it would change things at the company, and the OpenAI CEO doesn't expect “any day-to-day change”. Lightcap said that the company's mission remains the same, and the events of the last few weeks have brought the company together “in a way that is hard to describe.”