Edward Snowden has criticized OpenAI for appointing former Retired U.S. Army General Paul M. Nakasone, a former NSA director, to its board.
OpenAI announced Nakasone’s appointment last week, stating that the general’s extensive background in the cybersecurity field would be beneficial for the company in dealing with new and increasing cybersecurity threats.
“Artificial Intelligence has the potential to make a significant positive impact on people’s lives, but this potential can only be realized if these innovations are developed and deployed securely,” Bret Taylor, Chair of OpenAI’s Board, remarked. “General Nakasone’s unmatched experience in areas like cybersecurity will provide guidance to OpenAI in fulfilling its mission of ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.”
Upon Nakasone’s appointment, critics immediately expressed concerns, particularly in light of the NSA’s extensive history of surveilling Americans, with Snowden being one of those who highlighted the risks.
Professor Matthew Green, who teaches cryptography at Johns Hopkins University, also shared his concerns on Twitter.
Furthermore, Green suggested that companies may have overestimated consumer interest in Large Language Models (LLMs) and their willingness to pay for them, leaving law enforcement and the military as potential beneficiaries.
The concerns raised by Green and Snowden touch on the core issues with current AI models and the massive amount of data they consume. This raises questions about the potential uses of that data and who will have access to it.
Snowden and Green appear to believe that OpenAI is indicating its intentions for the future.
