OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently discussed the future of AI and the challenges facing the industry. In that interview with The Verge, Altman touched on ChatGPT, how OpenAI “ruined” the ChatGPT experience, and what percentage of people have an unhealthy relationship with AI.
The last topic of discussion is my focus here because it led to one of the strangest quotes I’ve ever had to report. After Altman claimed “way under 1 percent” of ChatGPT users have an unhealthy relationship with the tool, he discussed a line that OpenAI will never cross:
“You will definitely see some companies go make Japanese anime sex bots because they think that they’ve identified something here that works. You will not see us do that. We will continue to work hard at making a useful app, and we will try to let users use it the way they want, but not so much that people who have really fragile mental states get exploited accidentally.”
When OpenAI launched GPT-5, the model was immediately met with criticism for not replicating human emotions and being a “corporate beige zombie.” Critiques of GPT-5 were quickly attached to online communities that included members who viewed GPT-4o as their “best friend” or “soul companion.”
OpenAI eventually decided to restore GPT-4o, albeit behind a paywall. Altman also took the opportunity to discuss the risks of over-relying on AI. “People have used technology including AI in self-destructive ways; if a user is in a mentally fragile state and prone to delusion, we do not want the AI to reinforce that,” said the CEO.
He also said that a “small percentage” of users cannot tell the difference between “reality and fiction or role-play.”
AI becoming your friend
Much debate surrounds the concept of an AI becoming your friend. Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman appears to have a different stance than Altman. In a recent interview, Suleyman discussed AI growing with users and being relatable.
“I mean, this is going to become a lasting, meaningful relationship,” he said. “People are going to have a real friend that gets to know you over time, that learns from you, that is there in your corner as your support.”
Suleyman has also discussed Copilot having “a kind of permanent identity, a presence.” He even predicted Copilot having a “room that it lives in” and the AI tool aging. Microsoft has taken steps in that direction. The tech giant started testing expressive avatars through the Copilot Appearance feature.
In contrast, Altman said that he does not want his son to befriend an AI bot. When discussing the concept of AI getting to know users, Altman warned, “I don’t think it’s all bad. But I think we have to understand it and watch it very carefully.”
He has also talked about ensuring AI has a positive impact on society:
“I can imagine a future where a lot of people really trust ChatGPT’s advice for their most important decisions. Although that could be great, it makes me uneasy. But I expect that it is coming to some degree, and soon billions of people may be talking to an AI in this way. So we (we as in society, but also we as in OpenAI) have to figure out how to make it a big net positive.”
Altman is realistic in his prediction that someone will make “Japanese anime sex bots” powered by AI. I wouldn’t be surprised if they already existed, to be honest. But according to Altman, those bots will not be made by OpenAI.
