Karen Hao on the Empire of AI, AGI evangelists, and the cost of belief

The article explores the ideological underpinnings of OpenAI's rise, which goes beyond a mere business story. Author Karen Hao, in her work "Empire AI," delves into the "cult of AGI" (Artificial General Intelligence) that has fueled a billion-dollar race and justified massive investments in computing power and data. The article suggests that this pursuit of AGI has blurred the line between mission and profit, with the promise of transformative AI capabilities driving significant funding and resources. Hao examines how the belief in AGI has become a driving force, shaping the priorities and strategies of companies like OpenAI. The article provides a critical lens on the AI industry, highlighting the importance of understanding the ideological motivations and assumptions that underlie the pursuit of advanced AI systems. It suggests that the cost of this belief in AGI may extend beyond the financial realm, with potential implications for the development and deployment of these technologies.