One week every year, Davos becomes the stage for a global gathering in Switzerland where political and economic leaders map out the planet’s most pressing challenges. The World Economic Forum, a premier platform for international dialogue, divides its agenda into several tracks. This edition places artificial intelligence at center stage, with Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, making a notable debut among the participants.
OpenAI, the young startup behind ChatGPT, travels through the Alpine town like a celebrity in the spotlight. Artificial intelligence has become a strategic priority for major powers, including the United States, China, and other key players such as France, underscoring a shift in how nations view innovation, workforce, and security. Altman’s presence has put the American entrepreneur and investor at the heart of the global debate about the future of AI.
ChatGPT creator admits it’s “impossible” to train his AI without copyright concerns
This Thursday, Altman joined a roundtable and confronted questions related to a recent New York Times lawsuit accusing OpenAI and Microsoft of copying articles to train their models. He stated that the company stands ready to pay fair compensation for content used in training, and he emphasized that such content is not essential for the system to succeed, while noting constructive discussions with the paper are ongoing.
The ChatGPT model can generate text and respond to user requests because it has been trained on vast datasets collected from the internet. Many of these sources include copyrighted works, which has sparked debate in media circles and among authors worldwide about fair payment for commercial use of writings. OpenAI has maintained that training on copyrighted material is a complex issue but has sought to remain productive in its collaboration with content creators and publishers.
The future of artificial intelligence
During Davos discussions, Altman acknowledged that technology still faces significant limitations and makes mistakes. He hinted at advancements with the next generation of models, anticipated to be labeled GPT-5, which could enable even more capabilities and performance improvements.
Altman also spoke about personalizing AI, tailoring responses to different national values and user needs. He stressed the importance of balancing respectful, context-aware outputs with the diverse cultural norms that govern acceptable content in different regions. This stance reflects a broader push toward responsible AI that can adapt to varied societal expectations while maintaining safety standards.
The conversation about AI’s future also touches on energy consumption. Experts worry about the environmental footprint of increasingly capable systems. Altman noted that the tech sector will likely require breakthroughs in clean energy, such as solar, nuclear fusion, or other innovative sources, to sustain growth without compromising climate goals. He cited substantial investments in clean energy initiatives and collaborations aimed at reducing the industry’s energy intensity.
Asked about his recent leadership and the rapid changes at OpenAI, Altman described the public conversation as intense but essential. He argued that when artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into daily life and critical operations, the surrounding discourse tends to become even more vigorous. Still, he remained focused on steering the company toward responsible, safe, and impactful progress.