Sam Altman suggests using ChatGPT to create a daily family podcast

In short: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman suggested that parents use ChatGPT to generate a daily, personalized podcast for the drive to school, and the idea sparked a bigger viral backlash.

What's going on

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, posted that parents could connect their family calendars to the company’s newer workplace product, ChatGPT Work. He said parents could also explain their kids’ interests to the tool.

Altman’s example was a morning audio summary for the drive to school. He described a custom “podcast” that could mention one child’s soccer game later that day, another child’s upcoming birthday, and some news.

The post drew criticism online. Animator Alex Hirsch, the creator of “Gravity Falls,” replied, “What if you just talked to your children” and that reply spread faster than Altman’s original post, based on repost and like counts reported by TechCrunch.

TechCrunch also noted this fits a broader pattern of executives promoting AI as a replacement for everyday media or routines. The article pointed to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella saying he stopped listening to podcasts on his commute and instead asked an AI chatbot about them.

What to watch

OpenAI appears to be focusing more on families, including hiring for roles related to “trust-sensitive” products for parents. At the same time, the company faces lawsuits from families who allege ChatGPT contributed to delusions and suicides, and OpenAI has said it is improving how its models respond in sensitive situations.

Source: TechCrunch AI