OpenAI's Sam Altman Debunks GPT-5 Rumors Amid Calls for a Moratorium on Advanced AI Systems

Recent rumors suggested that OpenAI's GPT-5, a highly anticipated iteration of the company's AI system, was set to complete training by December this year and could potentially achieve Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). The source of this information was Siqi Chen, founder of the a16z-backed startup Runway. However, OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman has now debunked these claims.

Altman clarified that OpenAI is not currently training GPT-5 and has no plans to do so in the near future. The statement came in response to an open letter from a group of AI researchers and organizations calling for a temporary halt to the development of AI systems beyond the capabilities of GPT-4. The rationale behind this proposed moratorium is to establish guidelines to prevent uncontrollable outcomes in the AI industry.

Safety concerns have indeed been a focal point for OpenAI. Altman acknowledged the importance of safety considerations in the company's work but pointed out that the open letter lacked essential technical details and failed to address the areas that need to be paused. OpenAI is currently working on projects based on GPT-4, all of which involve safety issues that were completely ignored in the letter.

Although GPT-5 is not currently in development, OpenAI is expected to continue training and releasing new versions based on GPT-4. As such, training efforts will not cease despite the absence of a GPT-5 project on the horizon.