OpenAI founder-CEO Sam Altman has already given a clarification on the ‘hopeless’ remark he made during his recent visit to India. Altman has also found a supporter in Unacademy's Gaurav Munjal, who asserted that people must accept the reality that Indian founders and investors do not build or invest in things ‘with a truly long-term view’.
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“We didn't build a global Social Network or an Operating system or a Browser or Cloud Infra. Yet we are so offended by @sama's statement,” Munjal tweeted on Saturday.
The Unacademy founder-CEO continued: “I would love nothing more than Global Products and Companies being built out of India. But we have to also accept the reality. Founders and Investors in India don't build/invest in things with a truly-long term view.”
He further said that India must build a ‘better ecosystem’ so that the next OpenAI comes from the country, adding that Indians should go beyond dominating SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) and IT services.
What is the controversy?
{{/usCountry}}He further said that India must build a ‘better ecosystem’ so that the next OpenAI comes from the country, adding that Indians should go beyond dominating SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) and IT services.
What is the controversy?
{{/usCountry}}Altman is currently on a tour to Asia, as a part of which he visited India, doing so last week. Besides meeting prime minister Narendra Modi, he attended various events, including one organised by The Economic Times. It was at this event where he was asked a question by former Google India chief Rajan Anandan.
Anandan sought guidance from Altman on how Indian startups could work towards creating models along the lines of OpenAI.
The OpenAI CEO replied: “The way this works is we're going to tell you, it's totally hopeless to compete with us on training foundation models you shouldn't try, and it's your job to like try anyway. And I believe both of those things. I think it is pretty hopeless.”
This comment stirred a major row, with even Tech Mahindra CEO CP Gurnani ‘accepting’ Altman's ‘dare’ that Indian companies would not be able to match the skillset of their US counterparts.