Sam Altman Talks Alzheimer’s Research, AI Backlash, More

AI and Alzheimer's Research

• Sam Altman's OpenAI foundation is pledging $100 million to Alzheimer's research, described as one of the largest donations ever to the field.
• Altman argues Alzheimer's is an incredibly complex disease, and AI is very good at synthesizing huge amounts of data and bringing together insights across multiple fields.
• He says that in the last few months, AI systems have become smart enough that leading scientists say this "changes the game for science" and means science will move faster.
• Altman calls these models the first tool humans have built that is autonomously contributing to the sum total of human knowledge.

The Researchers' Perspective

• The $100 million in grants will fund top Alzheimer's researchers, including UCSF's Dr. Bruce Miller and Savannah from the Arc Institute.
• Dr. Miller notes AI can make sense of Alzheimer's complex combination of risk factors, such as diabetes, heart disease, exercise, gender and age.
• Researchers say AI can read millions of pieces of data from all over the world and find "little nuggets" that might have missed the human eye.
• Miller says labs are siloed, with brilliant results often unseen by others, and unifying and analyzing all that data is revolutionary.

Broader Ambitions and AI Backlash

• Altman says solving Alzheimer's is only the beginning; his foundation vows to pledge $25 billion to life sciences, curing diseases and protecting society from AI misuse.
• On fears of AI taking over, Altman says not every technological change has been good for humanity, some jobs will be done entirely by AI, and society will have to evolve to be resilient.
• A recent New Yorker story questioned whether Altman can be trusted with the reins of AI.
• Earlier this month, agitators attacked his San Francisco home; Altman posted a photo of his husband and 1-year-old son, hoping to dissuade future attacks.

Power and Responsibility

• Altman says this much power should not be in the hands of one person, nor does he think it is, and that AI will be put in people's hands early and often.
• He does not feel responsible for everything everyone will do with AI, but feels tremendously responsible for releasing the technology in the best way possible.
• Asked if he sleeps, Altman says "not super great" because it is a very busy time.

Timeline and Lawsuit

• Researchers say new treatments could come soon, and with AI's help a cure could be possible within a decade.
• Elon Musk's high-stakes lawsuit against OpenAI over its transition from a non-profit to a for-profit company is going to trial.