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August 8, 2024 • 34min
OpenAI’s Bret Taylor: Your business can’t wait until AI is perfect
Masters of Scale
Bret Taylor is the chair of the board at OpenAI and founder of Sierra, a new AI-driven startup. He has previously held leadership roles at Google, Facebook, and Salesforce, giving him unique insights into both large tech companies and startups. In this episode, Reid Hoffman talks with Bret about the transformative potential of AI, lessons from his career in Silicon Valley, and his current work with OpenAI and Sierra.
OpenAI’s Bret Taylor: Your business can’t wait until AI is perfect
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Key Takeaways
- AI will transform our relationship with software - It will complete jobs rather than just enhance productivity, potentially driving productivity gains not seen in a long time
- Companies should "get at bats" with AI - Experiment widely to gain experience, even if not all investments bear fruit immediately
- AI may help with disinformation by making people more skeptical and likely to verify information
- Job displacement and safety are key concerns that AI companies need to proactively address to build societal trust
- OpenAI's mission is to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity - This broad mission can be interpreted in different ways
- Silicon Valley's culture of experimentation and talent flow between big and small companies is key to innovation
- Sleep, co-founder relationships, and learning from past experiences at major tech companies have been crucial to Brett Taylor's success
Introduction
Bret Taylor is the chair of the board at OpenAI and founder of Sierra, a new AI-driven startup. He has previously held leadership roles at Google, Facebook, and Salesforce, giving him unique insights into both large tech companies and startups. In this episode, Reid Hoffman talks with Bret about the transformative potential of AI, lessons from his career in Silicon Valley, and his current work with OpenAI and Sierra.
Topics Discussed
AI's Impact on Business and Society (3:22)
Bret discusses how AI, particularly large language models, is changing our relationship with software:
- Completing jobs vs enhancing productivity - AI will increasingly return results of doing work rather than just being a productivity tool
- Changing perceptions - People are still adjusting to AI's ability to be creative and occasionally hallucinate
- Potential benefits for disinformation - AI may make people more skeptical and likely to verify information
- Job impacts - While some jobs may be displaced, new jobs will likely be created that we can't yet envision
Bret advises: "Get at bats. Use this next generation of AI...in your business as widely as you can. Not every one of those experiments will work. But if you believe that this is a force that will change your business forever, you don't want to start developing experience in the technology once you know it's perfect."
Advice for Businesses Adopting AI (14:37)
Bret offers concrete suggestions for companies looking to experiment with AI:
- Give employees access to tools like ChatGPT for day-to-day tasks
- Use AI for synthesis and summary of large amounts of data
- Deploy AI for customer interactions and back office processes
- Create branded AI agents to engage with customers
OpenAI's Mission and Governance (18:42)
Bret explains his role as chair of OpenAI's board and the organization's unique structure:
- Mission: "To ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity"
- Interpretation challenges: The broad mission can be seen differently by those focused on benefits vs those concerned with safety
- Safety and Security Committee: Provides oversight on safety decision-making around AI models
Bret notes: "I'm a fiduciary to humanity? Is that what that means? And he laughs and said, well, kind of, yes, but it really means that when you're thinking about, what are my obligations as a member of the board here, it has to do with what does it mean to benefit humanity?"
Lessons from Previous Startups (24:08)
Bret reflects on key lessons from his experiences at FriendFeed, Quip, and major tech companies:
- Google: First principles thinking about infrastructure and scale
- Facebook: Innovative product culture and rapid iteration
- Salesforce: Strong go-to-market execution and customer engagement
He aims to incorporate the best aspects of each company into his new venture, Sierra.
Silicon Valley's Startup Ecosystem (28:51)
Bret discusses the key ingredients for a healthy startup ecosystem:
- Talent flow between big tech and startups
- Available capital for new ventures
- Culture tolerant of ambitious experiments
- Willingness to back entrepreneurs even after initial failures
He emphasizes: "I think we have a culture here that it doesn't mean it celebrates failure, but it's tolerant of, like, really ambitious experiments in a way that is really hard to quantify and certainly hard to replicate for people outside of this."
Building Trust in AI Companies (31:02)
Bret outlines two key areas AI companies should focus on to maintain public trust:
- Safety: Being cognizant of potential misuse or poor experiences
- Job displacement: Proactively addressing reskilling and new job creation
He notes that Sierra has allocated equity to address job displacement and reskilling issues.
Lightning Round Questions (32:13)
Bret shares personal insights:
- Most helpful habit: Regular sleep schedule of 7-8 hours per night
- Who he talks to when stuck: His co-founder
- Book recommendation: "Endurance" about Antarctic exploration
- Hope for AI's impact: Creating an enduring company and brand with Sierra
Conclusion
Bret Taylor's diverse experiences in Silicon Valley have uniquely positioned him to navigate the transformative potential of AI. As both a startup founder with Sierra and chair of OpenAI's board, he's working to ensure AI benefits humanity while also building a successful business. His insights on experimenting with AI, learning from past experiences, and maintaining a culture of innovation provide valuable guidance for both established companies and startups looking to thrive in the AI era.
The episode highlights the immense potential of AI to reshape businesses and society, while also emphasizing the need for responsible development and deployment. By focusing on safety, job impacts, and maintaining public trust, AI companies can work towards realizing the technology's benefits while mitigating potential downsides. Bret's optimism about AI's future, combined with his practical advice for implementation, offers a balanced perspective on how to approach this transformative technology.
