OpenAI, the research company behind groundbreaking AI tools like ChatGPT, is relentlessly pursuing the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Their latest project, codenamed Strawberry, is seen as a major step towards achieving this ambitious goal.
Project Strawberry is a new large language model designed to be a reasoning powerhouse, exceeding the capabilities of current state-of-the-art AI systems. It is expected to demonstrate human-like reasoning skills, enabling it to solve complex math problems, develop marketing strategies, and even autonomously navigate the internet for deep research. The model’s architecture draws inspiration from the Self-Taught Reasoner (STaR) technique, developed at Stanford in 2022. STaR allows a model to generate its own training data, continuously learning and becoming more capable over time.
The name ‘Strawberry’ is a code name chosen by OpenAI for internal reference and secrecy during development. Initially known as Q*, the project was central to a brief controversy surrounding OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, in November 2023. OpenAI researchers expressed concerns about the potential risks of unregulated advanced AI, specifically mentioning Q* in a letter to the company’s board. Following Altman’s return to leadership, the project was renamed Strawberry in July 2024.
Reports suggest that Project Strawberry could be released sometime in the fall of 2024. While this is just speculation, the potential implications of such a powerful AI system are significant. The ability for AI to autonomously navigate the internet raises concerns about its potential misuse, but OpenAI continues to pursue its vision of AGI within the next decade.
To measure the capabilities of its AI systems, OpenAI has introduced a five-tier scale. The company is also actively seeking additional funding, led by Thrive Capital, with a valuation exceeding $100 billion. This ambitious pursuit of AGI highlights the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and raises crucial questions about its ethical development and potential impact on society.
