OpenAI burst onto the tech scene in 2015 with lofty goals - to ensure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. Co-founded by tech superstars like Elon Musk and Sam Altman, OpenAI aims to develop AI that is safe and has a positive impact.

AI That Can Write and Create

In recent years, OpenAI unveiled several AI systems that showcase major advancements:

GPT-3, launched in 2020, is a remarkably skilled text generator. It can write articles, poems, code and more with minimal prompting.

DALL-E 2, revealed this year, creates original digital images and art from a text description. Want to see a painting of a robot playing chess in Paris? DALL-E can visualize extremely creative images.

Powered by Neural Networks

So how do these AI systems work their magic? They rely on neural networks - computing systems modeled after the neurons in the human brain. OpenAI's models are trained on gigantic datasets, allowing them to understand and generate human language and art with ease.

Pursuing Artificial General Intelligence

OpenAI's researchers are aiming even higher, towards artificial general intelligence (AGI) - AI as smart as humans across nearly all tasks. They're hard at work building ever-larger neural networks and lobbying for increased computational power, including from supercomputers.

The Great Debate

Some in tech question whether achieving AGI is even possible. And if so, would such a powerful technology do more harm than good? OpenAI grapples with arguments around AI existential risk versus AI's immense potential for progress.

The Path Forward

Despite doubts and risks, OpenAI forges ahead in its north star quest to create AI that benefits all of humanity. Most experts believe they will achieve more staggering AI breakthroughs in the years ahead, perhaps even reaching artificial general intelligence.