OpenAI scraps release of its latest artificial intelligence model
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Claire Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
Why did OpenAI scrap the release of its Astra 6.1 AI model?
This news that OpenAI has announced that it's scrapping the release of its latest artificial intelligence model. It's called Astra 6.1. Internal testing found that it failed to meet the company's safety standards. Newstalk tech correspondent Jess Kelly joins us now with more. So this is more of the scary AI models coming to get us, is it?
A bit of that, but this is also aren't we the best boys in class for pressing paws on something that is super powerful and that shows that we're actually really good people, we care about humanity and we're not going to kill you all.
Virtue signalling you suspect.
Maybe I am just too cynical to function on anymore. But uh there's a big event taking place where OpenAI are expected to showcase a whole host of features, powers, capabilities of its technology.
What safety concerns prevented OpenAI from launching Astra 6.1?
And part of this, it was expected that uh they would showcase and launch GPT six point one Astra as you say. It was expected to be rolled out from October, however the head of systems uh safety systems at OpenAI came out and It's very interesting the language that they use. Um so for example, uh Sassy Jan, the head of systems, he said that it didn't quite meet the bar in terms of staying within the scope of and authorization and how it communicates back to the user about the type of work that it's done. It was going rogue then. Doing things that you weren't telling it to do. Rogue. And we know that the systems that are already being deployed and in training facilities are going rogue. That's why I do wonder with my skeptical hat on, if this is a little bit of
we're doing what we said in terms of putting pause on some of these systems.
How do EU AI regulations compare with tech companies’ self-regulation?
It does feel reminiscent though of some of the conversations we've had in the past around self-regulation of this technology. Because here in Europe we have the EU AI Act, which has very clear parameters about what can be used, what can't be used and all the rest. In the next 10 minutes um in the the ERCI Committee are going Going to meet on AI and um our electricity systems. We also have Mel uh Malcolm Byrne put putting forward this notion of restrictions and rules around AI chatbots and our young people. So this is AI is integrated into every single element of our lives. And yet, for the most part, in the US and in China, they are adhering to this self-regulation. They are adhering to this. We, the people who've made it, are deeming it to be too powerful.
So therefore we're not going to give it to you plebs out in the public. This is going to be the next iteration of cyber warfare is this battle between the AIs. And I'm really concerned about the fact that we heard President Donald Trump referring to it as super intelligence and being all geared up for the innovation that the American companies are putting out there. And yet we're still seeming to be okay with OpenAI and Anthropic and the others to make a call on what is too powerful, what is too consequential for the average human.
Elaine Burke was in here last week from the For Tech Sake podcast and and she is quite cynical about this whole thing saying that AI does what humans tell it to do. AI is controlled by people.
Can advanced AI systems act unpredictably or hide how they work?
Mm. To a certain so I would agree with that, right? And I would agree with a lot of what Elaine said, but the issue is that it's so advanced and it's developing so that it's not controlled by people. You give it basic instructions. And what I've read about this Astra in particular is it has been designed to do certain things based on human instruction, but then it's not reporting back to the humans to say how it went about. Something and why it came to the conclusion that it came to. Mm-hmm. It's not reporting back in a transparent way. So it's that element of Frankenstein. It, you know, it's been built, it's been designed, it's it's there for one purpose, but it's not adhering to the full set of rules because yes, it's doing the task, but it's not doing the bit that says you must explain to me your sequencing, the systems that you access, your rationale for accessing those.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–0:09
2
Why did OpenAI scrap the release of its Astra 6.1 AI model?
0:09–0:54
3
What safety concerns prevented OpenAI from launching Astra 6.1?
0:54–1:46
4
How do EU AI regulations compare with tech companies’ self-regulation?
1:46–3:17
5
Can advanced AI systems act unpredictably or hide how they work?
3:17–4:19
6
Why do AI agents need precise prompts and strong safeguards?
4:19–5:20
7
Can tech companies be trusted to self-regulate artificial intelligence?
5:20–6:13
8
How could AI affect jobs and everyday life without stronger oversight?
6:13–7:33