From Coders to CEOs: OpenAI's Srinivas Narayanan on how AI is redefining engineering
He explained, 'AI systems are moving far beyond simply answering questions.' As machines increasingly handle the 'how,' engineers will need to define the 'what' and the 'why', the kind of big-picture thinking that's long been the realm of company founders and C-suite leaders.'Of course, software is interesting and exciting,' he added, 'but just the ability to think bigger is going to be incredibly empowering for people, and the people who succeed (in the future) are the ones who are going to be able to think bigger.'Narayanan, who has led the development of some of OpenAI's most advanced systems, including Codex, a cloud-based engineering agent capable of completing complex programming tasks autonomously, argued that AI enables smaller teams to achieve outsized impact.'An organisation should be able to do things a lot more with the people that we have. I hope that this just elevates the potential for all of us as individuals and organisations to accomplish more than what we have,' he said.AI revolution in researchHis message wasn't limited to the world of software. Narayanan also highlighted how AI is revolutionising research, sharing examples of models that can reason through difficult scientific problems and even assist in medical discoveries. One compelling example involved AI helping to diagnose rare genetic disorders, an area where speed and accuracy can be life-changing.advertisementDespite the transformative power of these tools, Narayanan acknowledged the need for careful development. He spoke about OpenAI's approach to safety, noting the importance of guardrails in preventing misuse and reducing misinformation. 'We don't get everything perfect on the first try, but we learn and iterate rapidly,' he added.- Ends
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NDTV
36 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Metastatic Cancer": Meta AI Researcher Slams Company Culture In Exit Memo
A departing AI researcher at Meta has criticised the tech giant's internal culture, likening it to a 'metastatic cancer' in a farewell email. The internal message, accessed by The Information, was written by Tijmen Blankevoort, a senior figure on the team behind Meta's LLaMA AI models. In his note, Mr Blankevoort painted a bleak picture of the company's AI division, which, he said, was gripped by anxiety and organisational chaos. 'We are in a culture of fear,' he wrote, blaming incessant performance reviews and repeated layoffs for sapping employee motivation and stifling creativity. Though Meta's AI division has expanded rapidly to over 2,000 personnel, Mr Blankevoort claims the growth was matched by a clear vision or cohesive strategy. Many employees are unhappy in their roles and lack a clear understanding of the team's overall purpose, he added. Mr Blankevoort's most damning indictment pointed to a deeper malaise infecting Meta as a whole: 'It's not just dysfunction, it's a metastatic cancer that is affecting the entire organisation,' he wrote. This comes even as Meta is doubling down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. The company is racing to compete with the likes of OpenAI and Google DeepMind by establishing a new Superintelligence Labs unit, focused on developing artificial general intelligence (AGI). As part of this push, Meta has ramped up its recruitment efforts, luring top-tier researchers from across the industry with lucrative compensation packages. Among the latest additions is Ruoming Pang, the former head of Apple's Foundation Models team, who will now help lead the charge in Meta's AGI efforts, as reported by Bloomberg. Other recent hires include AI scientists from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, such as Yuanzhi Li and Anton Bakhtin. These aggressive recruitment efforts have not gone unnoticed. They have drawn criticism from rivals, with OpenAI executives expressing concern over the company's approach to poaching talent. They have alleged that exorbitant signing bonuses were offered to entice key staff. Meta, though, defended its actions, stating that such high compensation packages are rare and usually extended only to senior leadership. Despite Meta's talent acquisition spree, Mr Blankevoort's exit note highlighted that internal morale and direction may remain significant obstacles. According to The Information, his message has triggered internal discussions and reflection within the company.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
The big question in Air India Crash: If pilots didn't cut fuel, what caused both engines to shut down mid-air? Experts say 'cockpit conversation is alarming'
MUMBAI: The big questions are: If the pilots didn't cut off the fuel, then how did the fuel supply to both engines cut off during the most crucial phase of flight? Was it a technical problem with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner? The 15-page preliminary report released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the Air India AI-171 crash, which killed 270 people. The report was made public in the early hours of Saturday. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Fuel cut-off seconds after lift-off About seven seconds after Air India flight AI-171 lifted off from Ahmedabad runway on June 12, the fuel to both engines of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB) cut off. The shutdown happened within a time gap of one second. "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he cut off the fuel supply. The other pilot responded that he did not do so." 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Records indicate that VT-ANB underwent throttle control module replacements in 2019 and 2023, unrelated to fuel control switch faults, and no subsequent fuel control switch defects were documented after 2023, it added. "At this stage of the investigation, no definitive cause has been determined, and no immediate safety recommendations have been issued to B787-8 or GEnx-1B engine operators," it said, adding that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India, supported by NTSB-USA, Boeing, GE, FAA, and other international stakeholders, continues a detailed investigation focused on engineering, human factors, and system interactions. TOI spoke to senior commanders and examiners, and they referred to another service bulletin issued jointly by FAA and GE (engine manufacturer) in 2021. Service Bulletin FAA-2021-0273-0013 Attachment 2 recommends the replacement of the "MN4 microprocessor on ECU" with respect to engine fuel and control. 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No significant bird activity is observed in the vicinity of the flight path. The aircraft started to lose altitude before crossing the airport perimeter wall," the report says. Experienced crew on board The commander had over 15,000 flying hours, including 8,600 on the B787, while the co-pilot had 3,400 hours. The co-pilot was Pilot Flying (PF) and the captain was Pilot Monitoring (PM). Possible link to microprocessor fault Senior commanders TOI spoke to referred to another technical alert: a 2021 joint bulletin by the FAA and GE (the engine manufacturer), recommending replacement of the 'MN4 microprocessor' on the engine's Electronic Control Unit (ECU). 'This recommendation is to address a condition that may affect Flight Safety… Accumulated thermal cycles of the EEC with age causes the solder ball to fail.' The ECU is the "brain" of the jet engine, controlling parameters like fuel flow and managing fault detection. The MN4 microprocessor interprets data and commands fuel metering valves. One commander explained: "The microprocessor is mounted on a Ball Grid Array (BGA), which uses tiny solder balls to attach the chip to the circuit board. As the aircraft flies, the engine experiences high temperature swings, constant vibration, and thermal cycling. Over time, this causes fatigue cracks in the solder balls, leading to intermittent electrical connections, loss of signal processing, and potential engine control faults. " A failing microprocessor could result in dual engine shutdown—a catastrophic failure. Questions about CVR, RAT, and Emergency Locator Capt Amit Singh, an air safety expert, questioned the AAIB's timeline. "The timeline given in the report is not tallying, especially after take-off when the RAT is shown deployed in the image, which means both engines have already failed. It does not match with the engine failure timings given in the report," he said. "What was happening in the ten seconds after the fuel cutoff switch was off? The report doesn't give information on the conversation in the cockpit. The two sentences from the CVR mentioned in the report about a pilot enquiring who cut off the fuel also don't carry a timestamp." Capt Sam Thomas, President of the Airline Pilots' Association of India (APAI), said, "The conversation between the pilots enquiring who cut off the fuel control switch is alarming." He also flagged another issue: the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) failed to work. "It should emit signals if the force of impact is between 3.2 to 3.5 G; the impact of the accident would have been exponentially higher." Doubts over investigation expertise Capt Thomas also questioned the makeup of the investigating team: "Who is the expert in this group? It is assumed that some B787 Dreamliner pilots have been... Why the secrecy? We know pilots in India, and none of them have been consulted. IAF pilots are not competent enough to investigate and understand modern aircraft operated by civilian airlines." In response, the AAIB clarified: "The investigation team comprising Mr. Sanjay Kumar Singh as Investigator-in-Charge, Mr. Jasbir Singh Larhga as chief investigator and Mr. Vipin Venu Varakoth, Mr. Veeraragavan K, and Mr. Vaishnav Vijayakumar as Investigators. Experienced Pilots, Engineers, Aviation Medicine Specialist, Aviation Psychologist and Flight Recorder Specialists have been taken on board as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to assist the Investigation in the area of their domain expertise. " Final report due in 2026 The final AAIB report is expected by June 12, 2026. For now, the root cause of the tragedy that took 270 lives remains undetermined. "At this stage of the investigation, no definitive cause has been determined, and no immediate safety recommendations have been issued to B787-8 or GEnx-1B engine operators," the AAIB said. India, along with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing, GE, FAA, and other global agencies, continues to examine engineering flaws, human factors, and aircraft systems that may have triggered the dual engine flameout just seconds into flight.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Google hires Windsurf CEO and researchers to advance AI ambitions
Alphabet's Google has hired several key staff members from AI code generation startup Windsurf , a Google spokesperson said on Friday, in a surprise move following an attempt by its rival OpenAI to acquire the startup. Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and select members of the coding tool's research and development team will join Google's DeepMind artificial intelligence division, the Google spokesperson said. The former Windsurf team will focus on agentic coding initiatives at Google DeepMind, primarily working on the Gemini project . ChatGPT maker OpenAI was in talks to buy Windsurf, one of the hottest startups disrupting software development, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters in June. OpenAI could not immediately be reached for a comment. "We're excited to welcome some top AI coding talent from Windsurf's team to Google DeepMind to advance our work in agentic coding," the Google spokesperson said. As part of the deal, the search engine giant is entering a non-exclusive license for certain Windsurf technology, according to a source familiar with the matter. Google will not take a stake in Windsurf, the person said. Windsurf investors will receive liquidity as part of the deal, sources told Reuters. Google's surprise swoop mirrors a deal in August 2024 to hire key employees from chatbot startup Big Tech peers, including Microsoft, Amazon and Meta, have similarly taken to these so-called acquihire deals, which some have criticized as an attempt to evade regulatory scrutiny. Microsoft struck a $650 million deal with Inflection AI in March 2024, to use the AI startup's models and hire its staff, while Amazon hired AI firm Adept's co-founders and some of its team last June. Meta took a 49% stake in Scale AI in June in the biggest test yet of this increasing form of business partnerships. Unlike acquisitions that would give the buyer a controlling stake, these deals do not require a review by U.S. antitrust regulators. However, they could probe the deal if they believe it was structured to avoid those requirements or harm competition. Many of the deals have since become the subject of regulatory probes. The development comes as tech giants, including Alphabet and Meta, aggressively chase high-profile acquisitions and offer multi-million-dollar pay packages to attract top talent in the race to lead the next wave of AI. Windsurf's head of business, Jeff Wang, has been appointed its interim CEO, and Graham Moreno, vice president of global sales, will be president, effective immediately. The majority of Windsurf's roughly 250 employees will remain with the company, which has announced plans to prioritize innovation for its enterprise clients.
