A video fragment featuring Sam Altman, the leader of OpenAI, has appeared on platform X, in which he shares his thoughts on the future of artificial intelligence. Altman suggests that in the future, AI could become as common a service as electricity or water supply. He believes that access to intelligent systems will be provided as needed, and users will only pay for actual usage.
“We foresee that intelligence will become a utility, similar to electricity or water, and people will receive it from us on a metered basis,” he emphasizes.
According to Altman, this model will allow for more efficient distribution of limited computing resources during periods of high demand. Companies developing AI could build their business models on selling tokens—units of data processing necessary for the functioning of their models.
These statements have sparked a heated discussion online. Some users reacted critically to the idea, comparing it to plots from the series "Black Mirror." One commenter noted that the concept of "intelligence as a service" sounds like a way to extract money from the very process of thinking.
Some users also pointed out that the idea of "metered intelligence" may only be useful to those who can properly utilize such technologies. They noted that, just like with electricity, access to the resource does not guarantee its effective use.
This discussion once again raises the question of the role of artificial intelligence in the economy of the future. Altman has previously stated that over time, the cost of computational "intelligence" may equal the price of electricity.
The post by Altman: “People will buy AI services like electricity or water” first appeared on the K-News website.
