These Clues Hint at the True Nature of OpenAI's Shadowy Q* Project

Last week, after briefly deposed CEO Sam Altman was reinstalled at OpenAI, two reports claimed that a top-secret project at the company had rattled some researchers there with its potential to solve intractable problems in a powerful new way. "Given vast computing resources, the new model was able to solve certain mathematical problems," Reuters reported, citing a single unnamed source. "Though only performing math on the level of grade-school students, acing such tests made researchers very optimistic about Q*'s future success." The Information said that Q* was seen as a breakthrough that would lead to "far more powerful artificial intelligence models," adding that "the pace of development alarmed some researchers focused on AI safety," citing a single unnamed source. Reuters also reported that some researchers sent a letter expressing concerns about Q*'s potential power to the nonprofit board that ejected Altman, although a WIRED source familiar with the board's thinking says that was not the case.