In its plans to expand to more countries, ChatGPT creator OpenAI will open its first foreign office in the UK. As reported by the BBC, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says the move is an, “Opportunity to attract world-class talent.”
Diane Yoon, OpenAI VP of people said, “We are thrilled to extend our research and development footprint into London, a city globally renowned for its rich culture and exceptional talent pool. We are eager to build dynamic teams in research [and] engineering… to reinforce our efforts in creating and promoting safe AI.”
After its launch in November last year, ChatGPT sparked a surge of global fascination with AI-powered technologies as it astounded the world with its human-like responses to questions. The popular chatbot also sparked a discussion regarding the potential threats posed by AI and the necessary regulations to address and minimise those risks.
Job creation and economic growth
During a gathering at University College London in May, Altman expressed his belief that AI has the potential to create new employment opportunities as well as reduce inequality. This was supported last month in an industry survey by Experis.
Speaking at the event, prime minister Rishi Sunak said that AI could, “Positively transform humanity” and, “Deliver better outcomes for the British public, with emerging opportunities in a range of areas to improve public services.”
Chloe Smith, the UK’s science, innovation and technology secretary said, “OpenAI’s decision to expand into London as their first international office is another vote of confidence for Britain as an AI powerhouse and, in OpenAI’s own words, for our vibrant technology ecosystem and exceptional talent.
“Our AI sector already employs more than 50,000 people across the country, and we will continue to foster an approach which unlocks opportunity and cements our place as a global destination for artificial intelligence,” Smith added.
In April, both Sunak and Smith announced a £100 million initial funding to jumpstart the implementation of the government’s key objectives for safe foundation models in the UK. A British regulator is also set to investigate the increasing use of AI tools like ChatGPT, to determine if users require protection against the nascent technology in the UK.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
