Why Signal’s Meredith Whittaker thinks OpenAI isn’t that open | StrictlyVC LA

Privacy and Free Expression Threats

• Devon identified three significant threats to privacy and free expression:
  • Legislation that weakens encryption under the guise of child protection.
  • The use of AI for surveillance and information manipulation.
  • The EU's Interoperability mandate for messaging apps, which could potentially lower privacy standards.

Signal's Privacy Features

• Signal introduced a new feature that replaces phone numbers with usernames when initiating contact, enhancing user privacy and security.
• Signal cannot interoperate with other messaging platforms without them significantly raising their privacy bar due to Signal's strong encryption and privacy features.

AI Industry Concerns

• Nvidia's dominance in the AI industry was discussed, with its control over chip manufacturing, CUDA monopoly, and influence on AI research and development.
• Concerns were raised about the lack of true openness in AI due to the high costs associated with training and deploying AI models.
• The business models of large tech companies like Microsoft and Google were questioned, as their AI services may not be directly profitable but serve as advertisements for their underlying APIs and platforms.
• The vast amount of data collected and generated by AI systems, such as ChatGPT, raises concerns about surveillance and the need for strong privacy regulations.

Encryption and Quantum Computing

• Signal deployed post-quantum encryption in May 2023, making it the first messenger to do so.
• Apple recently followed suit and introduced post-quantum encryption with their signature marketing branding.
• It is crucial to secure crypto systems now with post-quantum algorithms to prevent future vulnerabilities when sufficiently powerful quantum computers emerge.