Issue 91 - Follow the Money
500 Words is a publication of FutureX.Studio.
Welcome to 500 Words. This week's 500, as always, is written by a human.
INTERROGATING AI
There are many AI unknowns this week. To sort them out, let's follow the money.
OpenAI is restructuring from a non-profit to a for-profit company. Its Chief Technology Officer, Mia Murati, announced that she's leaving. Murati played a pivotal role in getting OpenAI CEO Sam Altman booted from the company last year, and she briefly became its CEO in his absence. Then, with Microsoft's financial backing, Altman regained control over the company.
Whatever power struggles occurred behind the scenes, they have benefitted Altman. After the restructuring, OpenAI is discussing giving him a 7% equity stake. At OpenAI's current valuation, Altman's 7% would be worth around $10.5 billion.
When he is not counting his money, Altman has been meeting with Jony Ive, the former Apple designer, to develop an AI hardware product. Tech companies want there to be consumer-level AI hardware to buy, but so far have failed.
Rabbit1, a standalone AI device, wasn't compelling enough to replace anyone's phone, and there was the Humane AI Pin, which projected information on your open hand, which was kind of cool. But it didn't work that well and required a monthly subscription. Mark Zuckerberg recently showed off some AI glasses guaranteed to make anyone look like a nerd. Stand by, because someone will get this right.
PRETENDING TO BE SOMEONE IMPORTANT
The AI hardware won't be ready for a while, but where AI is doing just fine is pretending to be someone important.
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, thought he was on a video call Dmytro Kuleba, the former foreign minister of Ukraine. But Cardin became suspicious when the caller started acting out of character, asking “politically charged questions in relation to the upcoming election” and demanding an opinion on whether Senator Cardin supported firing long-range missiles into Russian territory. Senator Cardin terminated the call and later confirmed that he realized that was speaking with a deepfake.
THE FUTURE LAB PODCAST
I'm excited about a new episode of the Future Lab Podcast in which I interview Tory Stephens. It releases next week, but, as a subscriber, you can listen to it now.
Tory works at Grist Magazine as their climate fiction creative manager and uses storytelling to champion climate justice, and imagine green, clean, and just futures. We talk about a climate fiction contest, called Imagine 2200, that he says changed him and challenged him on a personal level. It also inspired thousands of writers to explore what it would be like to write hopeful fiction about the future.
Sources
Key OpenAI Executive Played a Pivotal Role in Sam Altman’s Ouster
Exclusive: OpenAI to remove non-profit control and give Sam Altman equity
Jony Ive confirms he’s working on a new device with OpenAI - The Verge
‘Deepfake’ Caller Poses as Ukrainian Official in Exchange With Key Senator
This is a weekly letter about indie publishing from Lee Schneider. Author of the novels SURRENDER, RESIST and the forthcoming LIBERATION. Creator of the audio dramas MISSION OF THE LUNAR SPARROW, YOUR PERFORMANCE REVIEW, and PRIVACY POD. Working on many things. Nice to see you here.