ChatGPT is an interactive AI with advanced performance that enables natural responses like humans, and is rapidly expanding its use around the world. Mr. Sam Altman, 37, CEO of the American venture company that developed the product, visited Japan and gave an exclusive interview to NHK.

In it, Altman said it "improves our lives in unimaginable ways" and acknowledged that "regulations to reduce risks are needed and it is important to talk to governments."

"We want to make Japan one of our key markets."

Sam Altman, CEO of the American venture company Open AI, visited Japan as the first country he visited since the release of "ChatGPT" in November last year, and gave an exclusive interview to NHK on the 11th.

Commenting on the impact of ChatGPT on society, Altman said, "When new technology emerges, it can improve the quality of life for all of us in ways that we can't imagine today.

Regarding Japan, he said, "I think it's great that people are creatively using ChatGPT in one of the countries that could be at the heart of driving the entire AI revolution, and we want to work with the best engineers and researchers in the Japan to make Japan one of the key markets."

"I discussed the possibilities of technology [with Prime Minister Kishida]."

Regarding the meeting with Prime Minister Kishida on the morning of the 10th, he said, "We discussed how we see the potential of this technology, including how it can be used in Japan, its future potential, and how to mitigate its negative aspects."

Regarding concerns that the evolution of AI could lead to a crisis for humanity, he said, "AI has been portrayed for decades in science fiction as a killer robot that enslaves humanity, but we make it so that humans can set rules and stop it."

"Most technologies have immeasurable advantages and disadvantages, and the same was said during the Industrial Revolution. AI enhances our creativity, not replaces us."

"ChatGPT should not be banned in the classroom"

Addressing concerns that ChatGPT could have a negative impact on employment and education, he said, "Innovation has eliminated some jobs and changed or created new ones, but the ability of companies to generate new ideas is beyond imagination and I believe that the same will definitely happen this time."

"Some have pointed out that ChatGPT destroys education, but I don't think it should be banned in the classroom. We should think about how to use it as we did when calculators appeared."

"AI needs certain regulations"

Regarding the Italian authorities' move to regulate "ChatGPT", such as temporarily banning its use, on the suspicion that the collection of a huge amount of personal data violates the law on the protection of personal information, he said, "I think that certain regulations are necessary for AI to reduce risks, and it is very important to discuss it with the government. We hope that we can solve the problem with the Italian government," he said, acknowledging that AI technology will need to be regulated as it develops.

Altman's Biography

Sam Altman is 37. Originally from Chicago and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, he studied computer science at Stanford University before becoming a co-founder of a company that develops location services apps for smartphones in 2005, at the age of 19.

After serving as a representative of an investment firm, he founded Open AI in San Francisco in 2015 with entrepreneur and CEO of electric car maker Tesla Elon Musk.

Musk is now stepping down from running Open AI. Altman has also invested heavily in anti-aging and fusion ventures that extend lifespans by 10 years.

Some people are concerned about "ChatGPT"

While ChatGPT is expected to be a technology that has the potential to significantly change society and corporate activities due to its rapid use in Japan, there are concerns about its impact on education and employment.

Since "ChatGPT" makes it easy to create natural and persuasive reading impressions and reports just by asking questions, there are concerns about the impact on learning, but there is also an opinion that it should be used well for learning, so the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) plans to collect domestic and overseas examples and create materials showing the handling of AI in school settings, such as ChatGPT, at the earliest possible stage.

Views of the University of Tokyo

The University of Tokyo published its views on ChatGPT and other issues on its website on March 3.

"I think it will have the same or greater social impact than when personal computers, the Internet, and smartphones appeared," he said, adding, "In today's society, the appearance of AI like this one is not factored in in terms of laws and systems. He points out.

On top of that, he acknowledged that AI development may have crossed a red line from which there is no turning back, stating that "humanity may have already crossed the Rubicon River in the past few months," and said, "Simply prohibiting its use as a harmful entity will not solve the problem. It is important to act to find that direction."

Last month, the Italian authorities suspected that the collection of a huge amount of personal data violated the law, and there were moves to restrict ChatGPT, such as temporarily banning its use, and how to respond to AI technology is expected to be on the agenda at the G29 Digital and Technology Ministers' Meeting to be held in Gunma Prefecture from 7 this month.