The one skill you need to survive at OpenAI, according to the head of ChatGPT
The Microsoft-backed AI startup has also become one of the most coveted employers for young talent. While getting a job at OpenAI requires significant technical expertise, there's one key skill that a top executive says every prospective applicant must have.
Nick Turley, head of ChatGPT, recently appeared on a podcast with YouTuber Lenny Rachitsky, where he discussed the realities of working at OpenAI and what the company looks for in candidates. Turley emphasised the importance of 'thinking from scratch,' given that there is 'no analogy' for what the AI startup is building.
'Just approaching each scenario from, you know, from scratch is so important in this space because there is no analogy for what we're building.' Turley said.
Turley also noted that OpenAI cannot copy the features of Google, Instagram or any other productivity tool. He did, however, stress the importance of taking inspiration from everywhere.
'You can learn from everywhere, but you have to do it from from from scratch. And I think that's why that trait um tends to make someone effective at OpenAI and it's something we test for in our interviews, too' he added
OpenAI released its latest large language model GPT-5 last week which didn't sit down well with many users especially the company's Plus subscribers.
GPT-5 is claimed to have improvements over the previous models in many areas like coding, reasoning, accuracy, health related questions and multi-modal abilities while encountering fewer hallucinations (making stuff up) and psycophacy (being too agreeable with users).
However, the new model was immediately criticized for not having the same the emotional depth in its responses as the previous AI models and Sam Altman had to step in to say that the OpenAI would make the model's responses 'warmer' after it was rolled out to all users.
Turley during his podcast did mention that OpenAI many times ships models even when they aren't fully ready while continuing to working on improving the product.
He said that the thinking from scratch approach implies that OpenAI should 'ship out something raw even if it makes less sense and start learning and getting it into people's hands'
'The reason is that you're gonna be polishing the wrong things in the space. You absolutely should polish, things like the model output, etc., but you won't know what to polish until after you ship. And I think that is uniquely true in an environment where the properties of your product are emergent and not knowable um in advance' he added
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
US computer science degrees from top universities are leaving graduates jobless: Why is top coding education no longer enough?
The Promise of a Golden Ticket: Coding Skills and Big Tech Salaries AI, Layoffs, and Job Market Contraction Thousands of Applications, Few Interviews, No Offers AI's Role in Automating Entry-Level Jobs You Might Also Like: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang would not have studied computer science today if he were a student today. He urges mastering the real world for the next AI wave Reassessing What Tech Companies Value Today Back to Fundamentals — elonmusk (@elonmusk) The Cost of Education — svembu (@svembu) The long-standing belief that earning a computer science degree from a top American university guarantees a high-paying job is facing growing challenges. Despite booming enrollments and soaring expectations, many recent graduates are struggling to find employment in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. According to a report from The New York Times, a combination of shifting industry demands and the rise of artificial intelligence is leaving new computer science graduates unemployed and over a decade, students like Manasi Mishra were inspired by industry leaders who touted computer science as the ultimate pathway to success. Growing up near Silicon Valley, Manasi absorbed the message loud and clear: 'If you just learned to code, work hard and get a computer science degree, you can get six figures for your starting salary,' she recalls. This promise pushed her to start coding websites as a child, take advanced computing courses in high school, and finally major in computer science at Purdue giants reinforced these expectations. In 2012, Brad Smith, then a top Microsoft executive, highlighted that computer science graduates typically earned starting salaries above $100,000, with generous bonuses and stock grants. This promise fueled an education boom. According to the Computing Research Association, the number of undergraduate computer science majors in the US more than doubled from 2014 to over 170,000 last the job market has shifted drastically. The introduction of AI programming tools capable of generating and debugging code has reduced the need for junior software engineers. Simultaneously, major tech companies such as Amazon, Intel, Meta, and Microsoft have executed significant Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that unemployment rates for recent college graduates in computer science and computer engineering stand at 6.1 percent and 7.5 percent respectively. These figures far exceed unemployment among recent graduates in fields like biology or art history, where the rate is around 3 graduates face a grueling job search. Students from a range of institutions, including Maryland, Texas, Cornell, and Stanford, reported applying to hundreds or even thousands of jobs. Yet, months of effort often ended with no interviews or job search process has become emotionally taxing, with some graduates describing it as 'bleak,' 'disheartening,' or 'soul-crushing.' Several candidates said they felt 'gaslit' by the industry's earlier promises of easy success.A key factor behind the bleak job prospects is AI's increasing role in software development. Entry-level coding jobs, which traditionally served as a stepping stone for new graduates, are now most vulnerable to automation. Tools like CodeRabbit promise to debug code faster than human engineers, causing firms to rethink their hiring also face an AI 'doom loop' during applications. Many use AI tools to tailor résumés and autofill applications quickly, while employers employ AI-driven systems to automatically filter and reject candidates, removing human judgment from the hiring this changing landscape, experts urge students to rethink their approach. Sameer Samat, Google's Android chief, highlights that a computer science degree alone no longer guarantees success. 'If all you want to do is learn Java or Python, you don't need a degree,' he said. Instead, passion, deep expertise, and problem-solving skills are what set candidates advises aspiring engineers to focus on becoming top experts in a niche they care about, whether that be system design, AI, or user experience. This specialized knowledge increasingly drives hiring decisions at major tech leaders like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang suggest that the future of technology will demand a deeper understanding of physical sciences rather than just software coding. Huang describes a shift toward 'Reasoning AI' and 'Physical AI,' where machines will need to comprehend real-world physics such as forces, friction, and perspective aligns with voices like Telegram's Pavel Durov and Elon Musk, who emphasize the importance of mathematics and physics as foundational tools for future to the uncertainty is the financial burden many students face. Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu recently cautioned against taking on large education loans for foreign degrees, especially as job opportunities become scarce. He advocates for employer-funded training programs and broader acceptance of alternative credentials, arguing this approach could prevent students from being trapped in era when a computer science degree from a reputed US university was a sure ticket to success is coming to an end. With AI reshaping the industry and job markets contracting, graduates must adapt by developing specialized skills, embracing lifelong learning, and being open to alternative career pathways. For students and educators alike, the focus must shift from coding syntax to deep problem-solving and understanding the interplay between technology and the physical world.
India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
Trump Slaps Tariffs, India Hits Back: From McDonald, Coca-Cola To iPhones, A Nationalist Boycott Storm Brews
New Delhi: A wave of calls to ditch American brands is sweeping across parts of India. From McDonald's and Coca-Cola to Amazon and Apple, household names from the United States are finding themselves at the centre of a boycott campaign, Reuters reported. The push comes as business leaders and supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi rally against Washington's steep new trade duties. India's vast consumer base has long been fertile ground for U.S. companies. McDonald's outlets are dotted across the country. Coke and Pepsi dominate beverage shelves in both small-town stores and urban supermarkets. Apple store openings attract long queues. Starbucks offers discounted treats to crowds of loyal customers. WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, has more users in India than anywhere else in the world. Domino's runs more outlets here than in any other country. Now, anger is simmering after former U.S. President Donald Trump slapped a 50% tariff on Indian goods. The decision has unsettled exporters and sparked tension between New Delhi and Washington. While there is no clear sign of sales declines, the rhetoric against American imports is getting louder, both online and on the streets. Manish Chowdhary, co-founder of Wow Skin Science, posted a video on LinkedIn urging shoppers to back Indian farmers and startups. He called for 'Made in India' to become a global obsession and cited South Korea's global reputation for food and beauty products. 'We have lined up for products from thousands of miles away. We have proudly spent on brands that we do not own, while our own makers fight for attention in their own country,' he said, as cited by the news agency. Rahm Shastry, CEO of DriveU, a service that provides drivers on call, added his voice on LinkedIn. 'India should have its own home-grown Twitter/Google/YouTube/WhatsApp/FB like China has,' he wrote. Indian companies already challenge foreign brands at home, particularly in retail and food. Still going global has remained an uphill climb. In technology, though, Indian IT firms such as TCS and Infosys serve clients across continents. Speaking in Bengaluru on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi called for greater self-reliance. 'Indian technology companies make products for the world but now is the time for us to give more priority to India's needs,' he said, without naming any firm. Even as boycotts gathered steam, Tesla opened its second showroom in the country on Monday in New Delhi. The launch drew both Indian commerce ministry officials and U.S. embassy representatives. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch staged rallies nationwide on Sunday. The group urged shoppers to switch to Indian alternatives and circulated a WhatsApp list of domestic brands, from soaps to cold drinks. 'People are now looking at Indian products. It will take some time to fructify. This is a call for nationalism and patriotism,' said group's Co-Convenor Ashwani Mahajan. On social media, the group's 'Boycott foreign food chains' graphics display logos of McDonald's and other international restaurants. In Lucknow, 37-year-old Rajat Gupta sat at a McDonald's on Monday, sipping a cup of coffee worth Rs 49. He brushed off the protests. 'Tariffs are a matter of diplomacy and my McPuff, coffee should not be dragged into it,' the report has quoted him as saying.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Where are Houthis? China's automakers taking shortcut to European markets
1 2 Chinese automakers are shipping cars to Europe through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, nearly two years after the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen started attacking vessels in the critical Middle East transit route. Other automakers are still shipping cars from Asia by way of a much longer, and expensive, trip around Africa. Last month, at least 14 car-carrier ships travelled from Chinese ports to Europe through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, according to a new analysis by Lloyd's List Intelligence, a British maritime information service. About the same number made the voyage in June. The trips have continued even after the Houthis used drones, grenades and gunfire to sink two cargo ships last month. Most shipping analysts assume that the Chinese govt has reached an understanding with Iran or the Houthis not to harm car-carrier ships from China. It seems that "China has found a way to deal with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, and they have been told that their ships will not be targeted," said Daniel Nash, associate director of valuation and analytics at Veson Nautical, a maritime data firm. Travelling through the Red Sea and Suez Canal saves 14 to 18 days on each round trip between Asia and Europe, compared with going around Africa. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo This reduces costs for fuel, crews and the ships themselves by a couple hundred dollars per car. Going around Africa "adds considerable costs to a shipowner's fuel bill, increases pollution from the vessel and ultimately adds costs for buyers of new cars," said Rob Willmington, a senior analyst at Lloyd's List who led the review of voyages by car-carrier ships. Shipowners in Europe and Asia mostly refuse to allow companies to charter their vessels for such trips. Commercial insurers in London have become wary of insuring such voyages, charging higher rates when they do. The state-owned SAIC Motor, previously known as the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, and BYD did not respond to our requests for comment. In addition to Chinese-owned ships, several car-carrier ships owned by a South Korean company or by a joint venture of businesses in Abu Dhabi and Turkey also sailed through the Red Sea and Suez Canal after stopping at car-loading ports in China, Willmington said. In a written reply to questions, China's ministry of foreign affairs did not mention car-carrier ships but said that, "China has been playing an active role in easing tensions since the situation in the Red Sea escalated, and will continue to contribute to the early restoration of peace and tranquillity in the Red Sea."
