Sam Altman says people may someday “buy intelligence on a meter” like electricity or water and critics say the vision sounds more dystopian than innovative.

Sam Altman says OpenAI wants to sell intelligence like a utility

During a recent appearance at BlackRock in Washington, D.C., OpenAI’s Sam Altman, shared his vision for the future of AI. At one point saying, “We see a future where intelligence is a utility, like electricity or water, and people buy it from us on a meter.”

Altman was describing a world where AI becomes a foundational infrastructure, something woven into everyday life so deeply that consumers and businesses simply “plug into” it the same way they rely on electricity, Wi-Fi or running water.

  • zarkanian@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    78·
    20 hours ago

    The wording also struck a nerve because many AI models were trained on enormous amounts of publicly available internet data such as books, articles, forums and creative work created by millions of people who were never directly compensated.

    That’s much too kind. We were never indirectly compensated, either.

    • potoooooooo 🥔@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      6 hours ago

      …you didn’t get your check?

      Came just in time for me and has solved so many issues. I’d suggest calling about it. Anyway, gotta run, christening party for the new boat!

    • kent_eh@lemmy.caEnglish
      39·
      20 hours ago

      and creative work created by millions of people who were never directly compensated.

      That’s much too kind. We were never indirectly compensated, either.

      We were never even asked for permission to use our works and words.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.ukEnglish
      13·
      18 hours ago

      It also means there’s nothing unique about their AI that couldn’t be replicated by someone else.

      He’s basically selling bottled tap water, you can get the same thing by just going into your kitchen. There is no actual product.

      • zarkanian@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        1·
        3 hours ago

        Oh, of course. It’s all lowest-common-denominator, mediocre bullshit. If they could come up with something unique, that would be actual intelligence.

        If you want to test this out, try asking for “novel” or “unusual” output. It’s still derivative, but perhaps just a little bit less derivative than standard output.