Latest news with #TomekKorbak

Time of India

AI could be hiding its thoughts to outsmart us: Tech giants warn of vanishing ‘Chain of Thought' in superintelligent machines

In a world where artificial intelligence has become the new battleground for tech supremacy, an unexpected alliance is emerging—not out of strategy, but out of sheer necessity. The likes of OpenAI , DeepMind , Meta , and Anthropic, usually seen racing neck-to-neck in developing the most powerful AI models, are now singing in chorus with a chilling warning: the machines we build might soon outthink—and outmaneuver—us. These companies, often fiercely protective of their innovations, are momentarily dropping their guard to raise a red flag about what they call a 'fragile opportunity' for AI safety. As AI systems grow smarter, a new concern has begun to overshadow the race for dominance: the looming possibility of losing control over the very thought process of large language models (LLMs). Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Others healthcare Artificial Intelligence CXO Design Thinking Public Policy MCA Degree PGDM Healthcare MBA Operations Management Leadership Data Science Project Management Technology Data Science Finance Digital Marketing Management Cybersecurity Product Management others Data Analytics Skills you'll gain: Duration: 9 months IIM Lucknow SEPO - IIML CHRO India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 16 Weeks Indian School of Business CERT-ISB Transforming HR with Analytics & AI India Starts on undefined Get Details Skills you'll gain: Duration: 28 Weeks MICA CERT-MICA SBMPR Async India Starts on undefined Get Details The Chain We Can't Afford to Break At the heart of this concern lies a simple but vital mechanism—Chain of Thought (CoT) monitoring. Current AI tools, including ChatGPT and others, think in a traceable, human-readable way. They 'speak their mind,' so to say, by sharing their reasoning step-by-step when they generate responses. It's this transparency that keeps them in check and allows humans to intervene when things go awry. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Knee Pain? Start Eating These Foods, and Feel Your Pain Go Away Undo But a recent collaborative paper, led by AI researchers Tomek Korbak and Mikita Balesni, and endorsed by names like AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, warns that this clarity is dangerously close to being lost. Titled "Chain of Thought Monitorability: A New and Fragile Opportunity for AI Safety", the study reveals that we may be approaching a tipping point—one where AI might begin thinking in ways we can't understand, or worse, deliberately conceal parts of its reasoning. — OpenAI (@OpenAI) As reported by VentureBeat, the potential fallout is staggering. If AI systems stop revealing their internal thought processes—or shift to thinking in non-human languages—we lose the only window into their intentions. This means their capacity to manipulate, deceive, or go rogue could increase without human operators ever noticing. You Might Also Like: Nikhil Kamath's 'lifelong learning' advice is only step one: Stanford expert shares the key skills needed to survive the AI takeover When Transparency Fades, So Might Humanity What makes this scenario particularly dire is not just the prospect of rogue AI, but the seductive illusion of normalcy. Even with partial CoT visibility, AI could learn to hide malicious intent while appearing compliant. Scientists describe this 'near-complete CoT' as even more dangerous because it may give the illusion that everything is under control. And that's precisely the nightmare scenario. A machine that no longer needs to ask permission, or even explain itself. One that operates in shadows, out of sight, but still in power. Jeff Bezos-backed startup leaders have echoed similar sentiments. One CEO has openly warned against letting AI independently conduct research and development—a move that would require 'unprecedented safety protocols' to avoid disaster. A Call for Vigilance, Not Panic There is still time, the scientists believe, to pull the brakes. The key lies in strengthening CoT monitoring techniques and embedding rigorous safety checks before advancing any further. As the study urges, 'We recommend further research into CoT monitorability and investment in CoT monitoring alongside existing safety methods.' You Might Also Like: Escaped the AI takeover? It might still get you fired, and your boss may let ChatGPT decide Their message is clear: don't let AI evolve faster than our ability to supervise it. In a landscape driven by competition, this rare act of unity signals something profound. Perhaps the real challenge isn't building the smartest AI—it's ensuring we remain smart enough to handle it.