The CEO of the company behind AI chatbot ChatGPT says the worst-case scenario for artificial intelligence is 'lights out for all of us'

• Chances are, you've heard of ChatGPT, the viral AI chatbot sweeping the internet.
• Some say it helps with work. Others fear ChatGPT can create problems like misinformation or scams.

ChatGPT has been making the rounds online, and as with any type of artificial intelligence, it's raising questions about its benefits — and how it could be abused.

In a January interview, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, offered his take on the pros and cons of artificial intelligence.

In the interview, StrictlyVC's Connie Loizos asked Altman what he viewed as the best- and worst-case scenarios for AI.

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As for the best, "I think the best case is so unbelievably good that it's hard for me to even imagine," he said.

He added: "I can sort of imagine what it's like when we have just, like, unbelievable abundance and systems that can help us resolve deadlocks and improve all aspects of reality and let us all live our best lives. But I can't quite. I think the good case is just so unbelievably good that you sound like a really crazy person to start talking about it."

His thoughts on the worst-case scenario, though, were pretty bleak.

"The bad case — and I think this is important to say — is, like, lights out for all of us," Altman said. "I'm more worried about an accidental misuse case in the short term."

He added: "So I think it's like impossible to overstate the importance of AI safety and alignment work. I would like to see much, much more happening."

Experts have said ChatGPT could be abused for purposes like carrying out scams, conducting cyberattacks, spreading misinformation, and enabling plagiarism.

In more recent interviews, Altman has said he understands why some people are concerned about AI.

"I think it's weird when people think it's like a big dunk that I say, I'm a little bit afraid," Altman said on tech researcher Lex Fridman's podcast in March. "And I think it'd be crazy not to be a little bit afraid, and I empathize with people who are a lot afraid."

In June, he told Satyan Gajwani, the vice chairman of Times Internet, "What I lose the most sleep over is the hypothetical idea that we already have done something really bad by launching ChatGPT."

At the same time, Altman has said he believes the development of AI will spell the "most tremendous leap forward" for people's quality of life, but "regulation will be critical."