VERSES Claims Path to AGI, Sparks Debate

Key Takeaway

VERSES, a company claiming to be close to developing AGI, has requested that OpenAI assist them per OpenAI's charter instead of competing, sparking a debate on the feasibility of VERSES' claims and the implications of OpenAI's "assist" clause.

Summary

VERSES recently declared in an open letter that they are on the path to developing AGI and requested that OpenAI assist them per OpenAI's charter instead of competing.
OpenAI's charter has an "assist" clause stating that if another safety-conscious project gets close to AGI before them, OpenAI will assist instead of compete.
Many forum members are skeptical of VERSES' claims, seeing it as hype-hunting rather than a real breakthrough. No product demo showcasing superior capability has been presented.
The research VERSES claims is breakthrough is based on old concepts like Bayesian inference which have computational limitations. Their chief scientist Karl Friston gained notice years ago but his ideas have not transformed the field.
However, some think VERSES' claims should still be investigated given the "assist" clause. The latest VERSES papers propose using tensor networks for control flow which seems interesting.
There is debate around whether OpenAI's "assist" clause is realistic or will create problems by inviting claims from companies without proper vetting.
Overall the consensus seems to be that VERSES' AGI claims are more hype than substance at this point. But OpenAI may still need to respond given their charter commits them to assist more credible efforts.