According to U.Today, Edward Snowden, a renowned whistleblower from the NSA, has expressed his concerns about OpenAI and its products on a social media platform. He specifically commented on the recent appointment of retired US Army general and former head of NSA, Paul Nakasone, to the board of directors of OpenAI, led by Sam Altman. Nakasone had led the National Security Agency between 2018 and 2023. Snowden quoted a tweet from user @MarioNawfal, which suggested that Nakasone's appointment would enhance AI's role in cybersecurity by detecting and responding to threats quickly. This appointment came amidst rising concerns about the safety culture at OpenAI.
Snowden warned his followers not to trust OpenAI or its products, such as ChatGPT. He tweeted that OpenAI has 'gone full mask-off' and described the appointment of a former NSA Director to the board as a 'willful, calculated betrayal of the rights of every person on Earth.' He ended his tweet with a stern warning to his followers.
In related news, tech mogul Elon Musk, founder of an AI startup, also expressed his concerns about OpenAI. Musk, who opposes Sam Altman and the direction OpenAI has taken with its products, commented sarcastically on the news, stating, 'Can’t wait for OpenAI to have access to my phone.' Earlier in the week, Musk had expressed concerns about OpenAI's collaboration with Apple to integrate ChatGPT into all Apple devices. He stated that if this were to happen, he would ban all Apple devices from his companies, fearing that OpenAI would have access to user data and potentially misuse it.