Models are quite safe when they're useless, actually.
In the times of GPT-3 I'd scoff at the idea of an LLM doing any hacking; today, I'm running several AIs on my code before publishing, and they are finding (and demonstrating!) RCEs on my localhost server.
For example, one found a missing check in a third party JWT library which allowed full account takeover, which I'd have never even looked at.
Hence I don't believe a single word coming out of these people's mouths. Their "beliefs" are just marketing.
There’s this strain of thinking that’s complete alien to me, I can’t interpret what’s being said and it sounds incredibly aggressive. ex. our lead post asking if Sam Altman still thinks GPT-3 is unsafe to release, and I don’t understand what beliefs you don’t believe and who they is and why they’re just choosing to lie for marketing.
My guess is I’m unintentionally refusing implicit signal that you think it’s safe to release all models openly, because you have observed models finding a vulnerability in a JWT library. But that sounds like a straw man instead of a steel man. Idk. :/
From today's perspective, it sure seems like it, probably because increased capabilities have generated a new kind of danger. Back then, they were worried about stuff like the model telling me dangerous knowledge.
I certainly think the labs have muddied the waters using safety for marketing, but that doesn't mean less capable models weren't more dangerous at one point.