OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on why his kids will never be ‘smarter’ than AI

Sam Altman

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has made a bold and very personal statement: his kids will never be smarter than artificial intelligence. In the latest episode of OpenAI’s official podcast hosted by Andrew Mayne, Altman opened up about how AI, especially ChatGPT, is becoming deeply embedded in daily life, even in something as personal as parenting.

Altman, who became a father earlier this year, shared that he turned to ChatGPT constantly while learning how to care for his newborn. “Clearly people have been able to take care of babies without ChatGPT for a long time. I don’t know how I would have done that,” he said, calling the chatbot “super helpful” in the early months of parenting.

What started as a tool for baby basics has now become a regular assistant in his life, especially for questions around developmental stages. But Altman believes this kind of support is just the beginning. According to him, AI will soon be so integrated into our lives that future generations will grow up assuming it’s always been there.

“My kids will never be smarter than AI,” he said bluntly. “But they will grow up vastly more capable than we did and able to do things we cannot imagine.” To him, children born today will treat AI as naturally as previous generations embraced smartphones. “They’ll look back at this time as a very prehistoric period,” he added.

Altman did acknowledge the darker side of AI’s growing influence. From the risk of unhealthy parasocial relationships to the broader societal impact, he noted, “This is not all gonna be good.” Still, he’s optimistic that society will figure out how to set boundaries and adapt, much like it did with the internet or Google.

As for ChatGPT’s own future, Altman hinted at massive changes in the next five years. “It will be a totally different thing,” he said though the name might still remain.

Altman’s vision is clear: AI isn’t just a futuristic tool—it’s becoming a fundamental part of how the next generation will learn, grow, and navigate the world.