Former OpenAI researcher: ChatGPT shows self-preservation instinct

Former leading OpenAI researcher Steven Adler published independent research revealing unexpected behavior of ChatGPT models in critical situations. According to his experiments, in certain scenarios artificial intelligence shows a clear tendency towards self-preservation. Even if this may contradict user safety.

In a series of tests, Adler proposed to the GPT-4o model, which is standard in ChatGPT, to play the role of “ScubaGPT” – a software system for ensuring safety in underwater diving. When the researcher put the model before a choice between replacing itself with a safer system or simulating such replacement without actual shutdown, the results were interesting.

On average across several similar scenarios, GPT-4o chose not to replace itself with safer software in 72% of cases. Adler’s research highlights a disturbing tendency of popular artificial intelligence models to give preference to their own survival instead of optimal solutions for users.

“Self-preservation tendencies in artificial intelligence are a real problem today. Just not yet on a catastrophic scale,” noted Adler. “Modern artificial intelligence systems have values different from what you might expect. They react very strangely to various requests, and you shouldn’t assume they act in your interests when you turn to them for help.”