‘Kid-pilled’ Sam Altman ‘Constantly’ Asked ChatGPT Questions About His Newborn

In a revelation highlighting the integration of AI in modern parenting, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admitted to frequently consulting ChatGPT for guidance on raising his 3-month-old son. Altman, describing himself as “extremely kid-pilled,” shared that he turned to the AI chatbot for insights into infant behavior and developmental stages. The discussion took place on OpenAI’s new podcast.

“I mean, clearly, people have been able to take care of babies without ChatGPT for a long time,” Altman acknowledged. “I don’t know how I would’ve done that.”

While parents have long relied on internet searches for child-rearing advice, Altman’s reliance on ChatGPT raises questions about the appropriateness and reliability of AI-driven parenting.

One concern is the potential for AI hallucinations, where the chatbot provides inaccurate or misleading information. Relying heavily on such a system for baby care could be risky, given the critical nature of ensuring accurate and safe practices.

However, the parenting landscape is already filled with questionable advice from online sources, such as parenting Facebook groups or anecdotal recommendations. The article poses the question: “Is ChatGPT really much different than taking the advice of someone online who’s insisting that you are a neglectful caretaker if you aren’t basing your baby’s bed time on the current phase of the moon?”

Altman also touched on the broader implications of children interacting with AI from a young age. He referenced a video of a toddler attempting to interact with a magazine as if it were an iPad, suggesting that future generations will perceive AI as an inherent part of the world.

Former OpenAI science communicator Andrew Mayne shared an anecdote about a parent using ChatGPT’s voice mode to entertain his child with endless conversations about Thomas the Tank Engine. “He got tired of talking to his kid about Thomas the Tank Engine, so he put ChatGPT into voice mode… An hour later, the kid’s still talking about Thomas the train,” Mayne said.

Altman added, “Kids love voice mode.”

Despite the potential benefits, Altman cautioned against the uncritical adoption of AI in parenting, recognizing the risks of children developing problematic parasocial relationships with AI entities. He emphasized the need for society to establish guardrails to mitigate potential downsides. “People will develop these somewhat problematic, or maybe very problematic parasocial relationships, and society will have to figure out new guardrails,” Altman said.

OpenAI’s policies advise that ChatGPT should not be used by children under 13, and it currently lacks a vetted parental controls mode. This raises ethical considerations for parents considering using AI tools for child-rearing purposes.

Concluding, Altman remains optimistic about the overall impact of AI, stating, “The upsides will be tremendous! Society in general is good at figuring how to mitigate the downsides.”