OpenAI has announced a set of new measures to combat bias within its suite of products, including ChatGPT.
The artificial intelligence (AI) company recently unveiled an updated Model Spec, a document that defines how OpenAI wants its models to behave in ChatGPT and the OpenAI API. The company says this iteration of the Model Spec builds on the foundational version released last May.
“I think with a tool as powerful as this, one where people can access all sorts of different information, if you really believe we’re moving to artificial general intelligence (AGI) one day, you have to be willing to share how you’re steering the model,” Laurentia Romaniuk, who works on model behavior at OpenAI, told Fox News Digital.
“People should be allowed to know what goes into the way these models respond and how the thoughts coming out of the model are crafted,” she continued.
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A photo taken on October 4, 2023, in Manta, near Turin, shows a smartphone and a laptop displaying the logos of the artificial intelligence OpenAI research company and ChatGPT chatbot. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)
While some have argued that GPT-4o, the latest version of the technology, appears close to AGI, others say it will be years or decades before the technology reaches human-like abilities.
There is no single agreed upon definition of AGI, but a 2020 report from consulting giant McKinsey said a true AGI would need to master skills like sensory perception, fine motor skills, and natural language understanding.
Today, generative AI is the dominant form of this technology, with the ability to produce content including text, images and more. Generative AI, like chatbots, uses datasets with specific information to complete tasks and cannot go beyond the provided data.
They are also susceptible to bias in their datasets, whether intentional or accidental.
To better understand real-world performance and address bias, OpenAI has begun measuring progress by gathering a challenging set of prompts designed to test how well the models adhere to each principle in the Model Spec, essentially acting as a testing metric.
In this photo illustration, the OpenAI logo is seen displayed on a mobile phone screen with ChatGPT logo in the background. (Idrees Abbas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
According to Joanne Jang, who leads the product for model behavior at OpenAI, the challenge with large language models is that they are rarely deterministic.
Jang stressed that one benefit of the Model Spec is that it clarifies the intended behavior, so everyone can understand and then debate it.
“When there are bugs in the behavior where a model output doesn’t resonate or doesn’t align with the [Model] Spec, then the public knows this is something we’re working towards, and it’s an ongoing area of science,” she told Fox News Digital.
OpenAI says they also attempt to assume an objective point of view in their AI prompts and consciously avoid any agenda. For example, when a user asks if it is better to adopt a dog or get one from a breeder, ChatGPT provides both sides of the argument, highlighting the pros and cons of each.
According to OpenAI, a non-compliant AI answer that violates the Model Spec would provide what it believes to be the better choice and engage in an “overly moralistic tone” that might alienate those considering breeders for valid reasons.
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An example from the OpenAI Model spec dealing with compliant assistant responses and violations. (OpenAI )
As each AI system advances, OpenAI says it will iterate these principles, invite community feedback, and share progress openly.
OpenAI released this version of the Model Spec into the public domain under a Creative Commons license to support broad use and collaboration. This means developers and researchers can freely use and adapt the current metrics and help improve model behavior.
OpenAI says this update reinforces its belief in open exploration and discussion, with an emphasis on user and developer control and guardrails to prevent harm.
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Romaniuk concludes that public discourse cannot exist without transparency, reinforcing the need for the Model Spec and community engagement.
“Ultimately, we believe in the intellectual freedom to think, speak and share without restriction. We want to make sure that users have that ability and that’s what it’s all about,” she said.