Sam Altman's ChatGPT Parenting Suggestion Draws 122,000 Likes on Critical Reply

Sam Altman is still making the case for parenting via ChatGPT

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman seemed excited to share what he called a "cool use case" on Friday, posting that parents could "connect your family calendars and explain your kids' interests" to the company's new product ChatGPT Work, then "every morning for the drive to school, have it make a podcast that talks about one kid's soccer game that afternoon, one kid's upcoming birthday, some news, etc." Altman's post prompted lots of virtual eye-rolling, including a simple response from Alex Hirsch, creator of the animated series "Gravity Falls": "What if you just talked to your children"? Hirsch's question seems to have gone even more viral than Altman's initial post -- while Altman's comment has been reposted around 300 times and liked around 9,600 times (as of Saturday morning), Hirsch's response has been reposted 9,000 times and received 122,000 likes. This isn't the first time a tech CEO has promised that AI can shield users -- and specifically users' morning commutes -- from the messy realities of human experience. Last year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said he'd stopped listening his favorite podcasts during his morning drive; instead, he asked an AI chatbot about those podcasts. Altman's post also echoed comments he's made about parenting in the past, most notably when he appeared on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" and declared, "I cannot imagine having gone through figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT." (Though he was also quick to acknowledge, "Clearly, people did it for a long time, no problem.") Getting parents on-board seems to be a priority for OpenAI, which recently posted a job listing for a product manager with experience building trust-sensitive consumer experiences for parents and families. But while the company has added safety features for parents, it also faces multiple lawsuits from parents and families alleging that ChatGPT played a role in loved ones' delusions and suicides. (The company has said it's "continuously improving how our models respond in sensitive interactions.")

Sam Altman suggests parents generate AI podcasts about their kids

OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman is trending on X for suggesting that parents use ChatGPT to generate podcasts about their children's lives in lieu of... listening to them. "cool use case of chatgpt work i heard last night," he shared on X in all lowercase. "connect your family calendars and explain your kids' interests." He continued, "Every morning for the drive to school, have it make a podcast that talks about one kid's soccer game that afternoon, one kid's upcoming birthday, some news, etc." The post has amassed around 9,500 likes at the time of this writing, dwarfed by 120,000 likes on the reply, "What if you just talked to your children?" from Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch. (The same day, Hirsch also criticized Google's addition of its AI image generator into Google Earth, which it reversed.) Other popular replies have the same sentiment: That Altman is apparently encouraging users to disconnect from their families. The backlash about AI tools has ramped up in recent years, for a myriad of reasons, including environmental impacts, surveillance, job loss, and fears of AI psychosis. The potential degrading of relationships is also a concern for some, as more people turn to chatbots to outsource relational conflicts or even seek to replace relationships themselves. Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable's parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

OpenAI CEO suggests parents make AI-generated podcasts to remember their children's lives for them

Even though it's been ubiquitous for a number of years at this point, it still feels like generative AI is working on its sales pitch. OpenAI CEO and Elon Musk slapfighter Sam Altman took to X yesterday to offer a new "cool use case" for ChatGPT he recently overheard: "Connect your family calendars and explain your kids' interests." "Every morning for the drive to school, have it make a podcast that talks about one kid's soccer game that afternoon, one kid's upcoming birthday, some news, etc." In other words, delegate the task of connecting with your blood relatives to a productivity tool. Gravity Falls creator Alex Hirsch has racked up over 120,000 likes for his reply: "What if you just talked to your children?" When my dad drove me to elementary school, he would put on country music radio and I would try to explain to him why Spore was so great. We learned about each other that way. The thought of having those memories replaced by some LLM telling him "it's not just a little league game -- it's an experience," well, it makes me think of that experiment from the '50s where monkeys had their mothers replaced by surrogates built from wire. The response on X has been largely negative. Comedian Gianmarco Soresi quote-reposted Altman, saying "Cool use case of a vibrator I heard last night: you can go in separate rooms and not have sex." A quote-repost from Kathryn Jezer-Morton reads, "Surreal how stupid this idea is." Another comment from AM_Pines said, "Children are supposed to be educated with Creedence Clearwater Revival during the morning drive dammit, not some fuckass generated AI slopsicle." Granted, your view of this might change if you believe, as Altman has said, that we're living through the singularity and AI has surpassed human intelligence. But that claim -- and these musings that ChatGPT should help you talk to your kids and take care of your baby -- accompanies a broader push by Altman, OpenAI, and other tech companies to resist regulation by leveraging the promise that AI will fundamentally change how the world works.

Parenting tip from OpenAI CEO: Sam Altman shares a ChatGPT trick he thinks could improve family mornings. Not everyone is convinced

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has sparked a debate after suggesting that parents use ChatGPT to create personalised podcasts for their children during the morning school run. While he described it as a creative way to make commutes more engaging, many social media users argued that parents should use that time to talk directly with their children instead of relying on AI, turning the idea into a wider discussion about technology's role in family life. Listen to this article in summarized format Listen × Subscribe to Unlock AI Briefing and Premium Content New Year Offer 24 Hours Left Subscribe Now Already a member? Sign In What's Included * Exclusive Stories * Daily ePaper Access * Smart Market Tools * Curated Investment Ideas * Ad-lite Experience * Subscription OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has sparked a debate online after sharing what he called a "cool use case" for ChatGPT that could change how some families spend their morning drive to school. The idea was meant to make school commutes more engaging by creating a personalised podcast for children, but it quickly divided social media, with many arguing that no AI tool should replace conversations between parents and their kids. Altman shared the suggestion in a post on X, saying he had heard about the idea the previous night and found it interesting enough to share. Sam Altman's ChatGPT idea for parentsIn his post, Altman wrote, "Cool use case of ChatGPT work I heard last night: Connect your family calendars and explain your kids' interests. Every morning for the drive to school, have it make a podcast that talks about one kid's soccer game that afternoon, one kid's upcoming birthday, some news, etc." The concept is simple. Parents would connect their family calendars with ChatGPT and provide details about each child's interests. Based on that information, the AI would generate a customised podcast every morning. It could mention an afternoon soccer game, remind a child about an upcoming birthday, include a few news updates and bring together other details that are relevant to the family's day. You Might Also Like: He is a basketball player, but his investment skills impress Warren Buffett: 'He's a smart guy off the court' Supporters of the idea said it showed another practical way artificial intelligence could fit into everyday life. Some felt children might enjoy hearing stories and updates that are centred around their own schedules and interests. Social media questions the ideaThe suggestion, however, also triggered a wave of criticism from users who believed the morning drive is an opportunity for parents and children to spend quality time talking instead of listening to AI-generated content. One user wrote, "Just talk to your kids, man. Why are they always trying to outsource human interaction?" Another commented, "Somewhere, a kid just wants to talk about their day, not listen to a podcast about it." You Might Also Like: Quote of the day by Friedrich Nietzsche: 'To predict the behavior of ordinary people in advance, you only have to assume that...' How a simple pattern recognition can help predict human behaviour explained by 19th-century philosopher A third simply asked, "What if you just talked to your children?" Others shared similar views. One user wrote, "Cool use of AI: Have robots tell your kids you love them so you don't have to experience connecting with your child." Another added, "The purpose of AI should be that we have more time to talk to our kids." Some also raised privacy concerns. One commenter wrote, "He just wants your kids' personal info in ChatGPT." Another critic remarked, "This is gross. Just talk to your children. They're human beings. They're full of joy and fun." One person even described the proposal as "an incredible life hack if you hate your kids." Some users still saw value in the ideaDespite the criticism, not everyone dismissed Altman's proposal. Some users described it as a creative and practical use of AI that could make school commutes more engaging. Supporters said many children would likely enjoy listening to stories and updates centred around their own lives, while others felt the technology could help organise busy family routines. The discussion also led some people to suggest alternative uses for AI in parenting and education, including personalised learning tools and AI-assisted homeschooling, rather than replacing conversations during family time.