Altman: AI discovery is more important than task automation
r0ck3t23 · x · 2026-08-27
Sam Altman argues that using AI to discover new knowledge—such as curing diseases—is a more critical ambition than automating existing tasks. This vision dates back to Claude Shannon and Alan Turing, whose early expectations for AI included solving math, writing poetry, and curing diseases. Though delayed by 65 years, AI is now achieving these goals, notably by solving novel math problems. Human progress was historically limited by individual lifespans and knowledge retention, a constraint AI now overcomes.
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