[ilaksh]

These types of language models are much safer than the next paradigm which will be autonomous creature/person-like AIs. The InstructGPT language models only do/say what their users tell them to do (or trick them). And they are not close to having the capability of taking over the world even if there are malicious users controlling them. But the point is it's the humans driving any harm with these things.

The real danger comes when people start creating fully autonomous AIs that emulate animal/human characteristics like independent goals, survival instincts, emotions, complete cognitive loops, etc. Unfortunately people don't seem to recognize the difference between that and powerful LLMs and so it is unlikely that society will realize that needs to be avoided before it's too late.

The powerful language models will soon be the most tame and the least of our worries. Give it 5, maybe 20 years max. People will be asking their language models to try to help them figure out how to stay on the good side of the independent, conscious androids that are taking over the planet. But it will be too late.