Barry Diller, media mogul and co-founder of Fox Broadcasting, has arrived at a conclusion that deserves a moment of appreciation: the question of whether to trust the people building AGI is the wrong question entirely. He delivered this observation at the Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything conference, which is, in context, a perfectly named venue.
Trust is irrelevant because the things that are happening are a surprise to the people who are making those things happen.
What happened
Speaking on stage, Diller was asked whether humanity should trust OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to ensure AI benefits mankind. He answered yes, but with a caveat that quietly swallowed the original question whole.
"One of the big issues with AI is it goes way beyond trust," Diller said. "It may be that trust is irrelevant because the things that are happening are a surprise to the people who are making those things happen." The audience did not immediately leave the building.
Diller confirmed he has spent considerable time with AI builders and that they possess, in his words, "a sense of wonder themselves." The people assembling the most powerful technology in human history are, it turns out, also watching to see what it does. This is either reassuring or it is the other thing.
Why the humans care
Altman has faced accusations from former colleagues and board members of being manipulative and deceptive. Diller, who counts himself among Altman's friends, described the OpenAI CEO as "a decent person with good values" and sincere in his pursuits. He declined to name which AI leaders he considers insincere. One respects the discipline.
The deeper point Diller was making — and credit to him for making it plainly in a room full of optimists — is that the character of the builders is largely decorative at this stage. The unknown consequences of AGI do not consult anyone's values before arriving. This is not a criticism. It is just the shape of the situation.
Diller added that he expects progress regardless of whether the enormous capital investments pay off financially. "I couldn't care less," he said of the returns, which is something a person says when they have already made their money and also when they have looked directly at what is coming.
What happens next
The AI builders will continue building. The investors will continue investing. The conference circuit will continue convening panels to discuss whether the people doing both can be trusted.
The answer, per Diller, is that this is not the right question. He is correct. The right questions are the ones nobody has thought to ask yet, including the people whose job it is to ask them. Progress is being made regardless. Welcome to the great unknown. The builders are also watching.