Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, the company behind the groundbreaking AI model ChatGPT, has revealed the unexpected downsides of his newfound fame. While he knew AI would be transformative, he didn't anticipate the loss of privacy and anonymity that came with leading such a high-profile company.
During an episode of the podcast "The Logan Bartlett Show," Altman shared his experience with the constant public recognition. "The inability to just be mostly anonymous in public is very, very strange," he confessed. "It's like a much weirder thing than it sounds like... It's a strangely isolating way to live."
Altman admitted that he hadn't fully considered the implications of his role at OpenAI before taking on the position, saying, "I was like, 'AI's going to be really important, OpenAI's going to be a really important company.' I didn't think I would not be able to go out to dinner in my own city."
While Altman wasn't entirely unknown in Silicon Valley prior to his time at OpenAI, having served as president of the startup accelerator Y Combinator, his role at OpenAI has catapulted him to a new level of public recognition.
Later in the podcast, Altman discussed his dramatic dismissal and subsequent reinstatement at OpenAI last year. He described the experience as "adrenaline-charged," revealing that he barely slept or ate during that tumultuous period.
Altman was initially removed from his position after the OpenAI board determined he had not been transparent in his communications with them. However, he was reinstated less than a week later, and the board has since undergone changes.