OpenAI AMA

OpenAI recently held a Reddit AMA where they discussed upcoming features and products. They addressed user feedback and showed screenshots of new features like folders and tags in ChatGPT. There was a lot of interest in voice capabilities, with users asking about singing and internet access. OpenAI confirmed they are working on making voice features more powerful. They also discussed the importance of larger context windows for better AI interaction and mentioned that agents are the next big leap in AI. There was speculation about the release of ChatGPT 5 and discussions around achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) with current hardware. OpenAI emphasized their commitment to open source and APIs, and discussed the use of ChatGPT in education and personalized GPTs for various domains. The AMA also touched on topics like camera mode, search capabilities, and suggestions for improvements. OpenAI acknowledged concerns about AI bias, misuse, and the ethical implications of AGI. Th All right, so, wanna know what OpenAI's cooking up next? New features, exciting products, you name it. We went through this massive Reddit AMA with some of OpenAI's top people. The big names, like. Yeah, Sam Altman, Kevin Weil, and let me tell you, they really hinted at what's coming. Get ready for some serious aha moments. I think what's really cool is they didn't just give like vague answers, they got really specific, especially about stuff users have been asking for like forever. Absolutely. Take something as basic as folders and tags in ChatGPT, you know, for organizing chat. Simple stuff. Seems basic, right? Yeah. But Kevin Weil, he's OpenAI's chief product officer, actually shared a screenshot of an interface with folders. So they are listening. Huge. Shows they're really paying attention to what we all want and making the experience better. But features aside, what really jumped out at me were all the questions about voice stuff. Oh, yeah. People want more. Definitely. It came up a lot. One user asked about ChatGPT singing in the advanced voice mode. And Weil replied, I want to hear it sing too. We're working on it. Wait, hold on. ChatGPT, like belting out tunes. Could AI be the next pop star? That's a whole other deep dive right there. Totally. But before we get too carried away, let's get back to the practical side of voice features. One user pointed out that the advanced voice mode still can't access the internet, unlike the regular voice mode. Made a good point, saying that adding internet access would make it way more powerful for getting info in real time. True, that would be game changing. Imagine you ask ChatGPT a question, and boom, it instantly searches the web for the answer. Exactly. And from the AMA, it seems like open AI is on it. Yeah, they're definitely focused on making their voice stuff more powerful. And it's not just voice. There were tons of questions about context windows, making them bigger. Definitely a priority, longer context windows. Altman and Weil both confirmed they're working on it. Think of it this way. A larger context window means giving ChatGPT a much bigger memory. Right. The more info it can hold, the smarter and more complex its answers get. This is huge with all this talk about agents. Absolutely. For AI to really interact with the world, it needs to remember and process way more information. Exactly. And that ties directly into Altman's statement about agents being the next big leap in AI. Yeah. They're betting big on this tech. Speaking of big leaps, did you see all the ChatGPT 5 questions? Oh, yeah. Everyone's dying to know what's coming in the next big language model. Altman played it close to the chest, but he did say we have some very good releases coming later this year. Oh, God. He didn't confirm ChatGPT 5 specifically, but he definitely got people hyped. He knows how to build suspense, that's for sure. But he was super clear about another hot topic. Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI. Can we achieve it with the hardware we have now? His answer was surprisingly straightforward. He said, we believe it is achievable with current hardware. That statement alone sparked a lot of debate online. Some were skeptical, others were thrilled, but it shows how confident OpenAI is in their approach. And then Mark Chen, their SVP of research, hinted that the key to AGI might already be there, hidden in the AI models we have now. That's mind-blowing. It is. Imagine AI learning and adapting as fast as we think it can. Speaking of pushing boundaries, there was a lot of back and forth about open sourcing, especially the older models. Right, and there's a tension there. Altman knows open source is important, so he wants to do more of it in the future. But he also emphasized their focus on powerful and user-friendly APIs and services. It seems like they see that as a safer, more controlled way to get their tech out there. So not ruling out open sourcing, but APIs are the priority for now. It wasn't all just about the tech itself, though. There were some really interesting questions about how chat GPT is being used in education, especially by students with ADHD. Yeah, one user shared how they use chat GPT to help them process lecture notes and textbooks, finding it incredibly helpful for managing their ADHD. They even said it's a more efficient way to learn than traditional classrooms, even with meds. That's incredible. Shows that this tech can help people overcome real challenges, make learning more accessible. Absolutely. I think this accessibility goes way beyond education. There's the whole discussion about custom GPTs and how people are just starting to grasp what they can do. One of the AMA hosts, Danny Iss, highlighted two really cool use cases. Custom GPTs for health and wellness, like analyzing blood test results, and personalized GPTs with uploaded knowledge, like travel recommendations or even course notes. Wow. Imagine having a GPT trained on your medical history or one that knows all your travel preferences. That's where things get truly personalized. It shows the potential for custom GPTs to make expert-level info available to everyone. But let's not forget the practical side. One user asked about the camera mode for chat GPT, which was shown in the advanced voice mode demo, but never actually released. Data staff kept it brief. Working on it. Don't have an exact date yet. Ah, okay. So it's on the radar, but no promises. Right. Fair enough. There were a few questions about chat GPT's search capabilities, too. One user asked if they still rely on Bing. Data's confirmed they use a set of services, including Bing. So not solely dependent, but Bing still plays a role in their search. And here's where things get interesting. One user wanted a hands-free way to end a voice conversation with chat GPT. Like a voice command to say, okay, chat GPT, I'm done. Exactly. And Kevin Weil actually loved the idea, said he'd pass it on to the team. That's awesome. It's great to see them taking suggestions from users and considering them for updates. It makes you feel like you're part of the process. Okay. Okay, we've covered a ton, from user interface changes to custom GPT's, but this is just the beginning. There's so much more to unpack from this AMA, including the deeper questions about where open AI is headed and the ethical side of AI. Absolutely. And in the next part, we'll dive into some of the more thought-provoking aspects, like concerns about AI bias and the impact of AGI on society as a whole. Things are about to get really interesting. So there was a lot of excitement about new features and all of the advancements, but this AMA wasn't just about the shiny new stuff. Some users really dug deeper, asked some tough questions about open AI going from a nonprofit to a for-profit company. Yeah, that definitely came up a lot. A lot of people brought up the open in open AI, questioning if it still holds true now that they're for-profit. One user even went as far as asking when they're renaming to closed AI. Ouch. Altman tried to address these concerns, said they're still committed to open source, and highlighted the value of both open source models and their powerful APIs. Tough balance, right? They want to push AI forward, but they also have to make sure their tech is used safely and responsibly. Right. Which brings us to another big topic, misuse. Especially with all these sophisticated bots spreading misinformation. Yeah, one user painted a pretty scary picture asking how we deal with someone using AI and pushed their agenda on a massive scale. They pointed out that it's already happening and as AI gets smarter, those attempts could become indistinguishable from real human interaction. It's a chilling thought. And honestly, open AI didn't really give a direct answer to that specific question. But they did talk about something related to the alignment problem. How do you make sure AI systems act in line with human values? Yes. Altman emphasized their focus on safety and alignment, that their API approach gives them more control over how the tech is used. They can put in safety measures and guardrails to try to prevent misuse. But even with the best intentions, the question is, how do you actually achieve that alignment? Yeah. Especially as AI becomes more complex and potentially autonomous. It's a huge challenge. No easy answers there. But amidst all the technical discussions and ethical dilemmas, it was nice to see the human side of open AI come through. Remember that question? Someone asked at it for what they would apply AGI to first if it were achieved. Yeah. And their answer was so genuine. I'd love for it to accelerate scientific discovery. I'm personally very interested in health medicine. Really shows you what drives them, right? Yeah. It's inspiring to see the team thinking about how AI can make a positive impact on the world. It's not just about building powerful tools. It's about using those tools to solve real human problems. And remember that user who asked Kevin Weil for advice on getting into AI right now. His answer was all about just diving in and using it. My vote? Start using it every day. Use it to teach you things and learn whatever you wanna learn. Coding, writing, product design, anything. If you can learn faster than others, then you can do anything. It's a powerful message, right? It's about empowerment through learning and adaptability. AI is a tool. And the more you use it, the better you get with it. Exactly. And then there was that super simple heartfelt question from a user, just, do you need anything? A touch of humanity in the midst of all this talk about the future of AI. I loved that. And Weil's reply. I do love Dive Mountain Dew. I know, right? Makes you realize that these people at the forefront of this tech revolution are just people with their own quirks and preferences. Yeah, it's easy to get caught up in all the hype and fear surrounding AI. And forget that there are real people behind it. People with all sorts of different views and motivations. Absolutely. And this AMA really highlighted how diverse the opinions and concerns about AI are. You have people excited about scientific breakthroughs, others worried about jobs. And still others just really skeptical of OpenAI's direction. It's a lot to take in. But this AMA gave us a valuable snapshot, a glimpse into this ongoing conversation about AI's role in our world. Totally. And in the next part, we'll explore some of the even bigger questions that this AMA brought up. Questions about the nature of intelligence, the ethics of AI, and what it means to be human in this age of increasingly intelligent machines. We talked about what OpenAI is working on, like the new features, the focus on agents, their take on open source. But this AMA, it went deeper than just the tech stuff. Oh, yeah. Some of the questions we're really grappling with, like the big philosophical questions about AGI. It's really interesting how some people phrase their questions. It wasn't just, is AGI possible? It was, what does it mean for us, for how we see ourselves, if we create something that's truly intelligent? One person even asked if an AI, if it had consciousness, would it have an ego? Would it be self-aware right from the start? Whoa, that's getting deep. Right. It's almost like they were looking for spiritual advice from these AI developers. I know. And while OpenAI didn't claim to have all the answers, they did share some personal thoughts. Yeah. Like, DataSoft recommended the book Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark as something to think about, but they also said they don't agree with everything in it. I like that. It shows they're not pretending to know it all, which is important in a field as powerful as AI. It's about being open to these big questions, right? Exactly. And it connects back to the conversation about AI and education. We talked about that student with ADHD who found ChatGPT so helpful. That sparked a bigger discussion about using AI for personalized learning. Data's find to Conmigo is a great example. They said it's not about giving answers. It's about guiding users to find the answers themselves, which helps them understand things better. Right. They also talked about how it can help teachers give them more tools for their lessons. It's a good reminder that AI isn't meant to replace teachers. Yeah. It's meant to help them make learning better for everyone. And speaking of helping people, there was a great question about, like, what skills should young developers focus on? Oh, yeah. DataSoft's advice was simple, follow your passion. I love that. They said both building custom models and making apps that use existing models are valuable. If you're into the nitty gritty of transformers and fine tuning, go for it. Right. If you're excited about creating cool applications, do that. Makes sense. It's great advice for anyone trying to navigate the AI world. Start with what you love and go from there. Experiment, explore, all that. Exactly. So as we wrap up this deep dive, it's clear that open AI is charging ahead. Full speed. Yeah, they're focused on making their tech easier to use, they're developing powerful agents, and they want more people to access their tools. But the real journey, the one that goes beyond the tech itself, is about wrestling with the questions that this technology raises. Questions about what intelligence even means, the role we want AI to play in our lives, and how to make sure its development aligns with our values. This AMA gave us a glimpse into those questions, a starting point for a conversation we all need to be part of. Absolutely. So what does it all mean for you? Well, the future of AI, it's unfolding right now, and it's up to all of us to engage with it, to think critically, and to approach it with a sense of wonder. As AI keeps evolving, so will our understanding of ourselves and the world, and that's a journey worth taking.