The AI Competition is on! Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has made an entry in the ongoing global race for 'super AI,' putting the tech giant in direct competition with rivals, Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Google.
Mark Zuckerberg in an interview with The Verge, clarified that the pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is the main goal of Meta to attract top-tier engineers in the rapidly expanding AI field. AGI, also known as the 'super AI,' aims to empower AI systems with problem-solving and rationalisation capabilities at a level with humans.
Zuckerberg emphasised, "In order to build the products that we want to build, we need to build for general intelligence."
He told the Verge, “We've come to this view that, in order to build the products that we want to build, we need to build for general intelligence."
"I think that's important to convey because a lot of the best researchers want to work on more ambitious problems."
The Stiff Battle Among Tech Giants
Microsoft’s OpenAI, which created Chatgpt, has mentioned Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) as its goal. Similarly the AI department at Google is also in a race to pursue AGI. This has made it popular among major tech companies and a newcomer Elon Musk’s xAI.
In the race to develop generative AI models, tech companies are actively competing to attract skilled programmers. This fierce competition is particularly notable in the wake of ChatGPT, the OpenAI-made chatbot that stirred an artificial intelligence frenzy.
Google, as reported by tech media The Information, is safeguarding its researchers from being recruited by offering stock compensation, while OpenAI is enticing top talent with lucrative multimillion-dollar pay packages to secure top-tier staff.
Meta’s Llama 2
In the interview, Zuckerberg explained that defining AGI is complex and cannot be explained into a brief, one-sentence description.
Meta has already made a step in its AGI journey by releasing its own AI model, Llama 2. Zuckerberg confirmed that his teams are actively working on the next version.
AI to Surpass Human Intelligence?
Zuckerberg noted the ongoing debate about whether general intelligence is comparable to human-level intelligence, an enhanced version of human intelligence, or a futuristic super intelligence.
There have been concerns over the potential ramifications of AGI, with fears that the technology might surpass human control. At OpenAI last November, when CEO Sam Altman faced corporate turmoil over concerns of recklessly fast-tracking AI development.
Meta's move underscores the industry's commitment to pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities while navigating ethical considerations and potential societal impacts. There are genuine industry concerns about the potential of humans losing jobs due to the swift progress in artificial intelligence technology.
Google dismissed hundreds of employees this year, and further cuts are predicted in 2024. Similarly, Microsoft-backed HumaneAI significantly reduced its workforce just before launching its inaugural product, a wearable AI pin, in January 2024.
While Meta has not made major job cuts so far, the tech industry as a whole laid off approximately 7,500 employees within the first three weeks of January 2024.
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