In a recent conversation, Lex Fridman asked Sam Altman about OpenAI’s transformative product releases. Altman offered an intriguing perspective, noting that from the inside, OpenAI’s progress feels like a steady climb up an exponential AI curve. For those within the company, the roadmap is clear and smooth. However, from the outside, these releases appear as sudden, transformative leaps—fast and furious.
This discrepancy highlights a gap in storytelling. Better communication about the incremental steps towards a clear destination is essential. Storytelling can map out the kinks in the road, making the journey more comprehensible. OpenAI strategically times their product communications, likely for competitive reasons, and they are making numerous small to medium technological bets. These incremental advancements, when combined, aim to yield significant gains.
As we move into a future where compute power is the currency of AI, it’s crucial to chart your roadmap along the exponential AI curve based on the myriad of discrete vendor releases, aligned with your desired outcomes. And before you leave, also consider that the balance between biological intelligence (BI) and artificial intelligence (AI) continues to shift, with AI rapidly gaining ground. The exact endpoint of this shift remains unknown, but one certainty is that AI will take a bigger role. Whether that’s a leading or support role remains an open question.
I found the point about viewing AI progress as a series of incremental developments rather than sudden breakthroughs particularly interesting. The idea of building a clear technology roadmap around specific operational outcomes also applies well beyond product development. I’ve been exploring how this approach can be applied to aviation operations, especially crew logistics management and airline crew scheduling software, where better data and automation can help coordinate transportation around changing schedules. During that research, I came across Mobisoft Infotech’s airport crew transportation solution: https://mobisoftinfotech.com/solutions/airport-crew-transportation-management-software