I’m a bit surprised by some of the comments I’m reading, which tend to frame Altman’s words as nothing more than corporate self-interest. Of course, it’s true that in his position he has to speak in ways that align with his company’s goals. That’s perfectly natural, and in fact it would be odd if he didn’t.

But that doesn’t mean there’s no truth in what he says. A company like his doesn’t choose its direction on a whim, these decisions are the product of intense internal debate, strategic analysis, and careful weighing of trade-offs. If there’s a shift in course, it’s unlikely to be just a passing fancy or a PR move detached from reality.

Personally, I’ve always thought that the pursuit of AGI as the goal was misguided. Human intelligence is extraordinary, but it is constrained by the physical and biological limitations of the "host machine" (not just the human brain). These are limits we cannot change. Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, has no such inherent ceiling. It can develop far beyond the capabilities of our own minds, and perhaps that’s where our focus should be.