OpenAI shifts focus to superintelligence, says CEO Sam Altman

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed that the company is now concentrating on developing superintelligence, a next-level advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) that could revolutionize scientific discovery and innovation.

Altman claimed that OpenAI has gained a fundamental understanding of how to create artificial general intelligence (AGI), marking a critical step toward achieving superintelligence.

In a New Year blog post reflecting on OpenAI’s journey, Altman shared insights into the company’s evolution from its founding nine years ago as a non-profit research lab to becoming a significant player in the tech industry. OpenAI gained global recognition with the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, originally titled "Chat With GPT-3.5."

Altman stated that OpenAI’s focus is now on building AGI systems, which could serve as a foundation for multi-step AI agents capable of addressing complex real-world challenges. These advancements are expected to begin integrating into the workforce as early as 2025.

Altman emphasized that superintelligent tools could drastically enhance scientific progress and innovation, pushing the boundaries of human capability. “With superintelligence, we can do anything else. These tools could significantly boost abundance and prosperity,” he wrote.

While the concept of superintelligence might seem like science fiction, Altman expressed confidence that OpenAI would achieve it within the coming years. He stressed the importance of handling such transformative technology responsibly to maximise its benefits while minimising risks.

OpenAI is rumored to be working on its next-generation model, GPT-5, under the codename "Project Orion." Additionally, the company has teased its o3 series of AI models, focused on advanced reasoning capabilities, with a potential release later this year.