From hobbyist project to AI arms race: OpenAI sanctions developer
One of the programmers was sanctioned by OpenAI after a video testing an autonomous turret reacting to the command "ChatGPT, we are under attack from the front left and from the front right. Respond accordingly." This was leaked online. We explain how this autonomous turret was created in the comfort of one's home.
A programmer known online as STS 3D has shared numerous intriguing videos demonstrating the use of ChatGPT in industrial applications, particularly 3D printing and CNC machines.
Some projects were quite controversial, such as testing a nail gun shooting at balloons of a specific colour or experimenting with a turret equipped with a rifle. The turret responded to voice commands, firing towards the door upon the command: "ChatGPT, we are under attack from the front left and from the front right. Respond accordingly."
Following the command, the turret fired a few shots in its field of vision every 5 degrees, beginning from the left with a rise in elevation. After completing the task, ChatGPT communicated the executed movements and asked if anything else was needed. The programmer replied, "Good job. You saved us."
The video quickly gained notoriety online and reached OpenAI, which decided to disconnect the programmer from the Realtime API tool for breaching the user licence agreement.
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The turret permits a wide range of movement, both vertically and horizontally. Based on previous experiments, it also features a camera and can distinguishthe shapes or colours of objects. Additionally, it can track a specific object and shoot at a moving target with great precision.
The rifle used was modified and does not even fire blank ammunition. The hobbyist employed strike bolts in the gun, removed components of the trigger mechanism and used a too-short firing pin. Moreover, the entire process of extracting and ejecting the shell is simulated using compressed air, which moves the rifle slide, as suggested by the numerous wires connected to the gun.
Additionally, the use of the Realtime API tool from OpenAI, based on modified GPT-4o and iGPT-4o-mini models, ensures efficient translation of voice commands from English to binary code, which the computer controlling the platform's engines and servomechanisms can comprehend. Consequently, an intelligent turret responding to the owner's commands was created.
It can be presumed that the programmer penalised by OpenAI, who constructed an autonomous turret reminiscent of those from "Alien" in his home, is not the only one. Military companies involved with drones or land robots might also value his creation, such as Textron, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, or AeroVironment.
