OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently shared what he enthusiastically described as a "cool use case" for the company's new product, ChatGPT Work. On Friday, he posted that parents could "connect your family calendars and explain your kids’ interests" to the AI, which would 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 suggestion, however, met with considerable online skepticism. Among the many critical reactions was a concise query from Alex Hirsch, creator of the popular animated series "Gravity Falls," who simply asked, "What if you just talked to your children?"
Hirsch's question quickly gained far more traction than Altman's original announcement. As of Saturday morning, Altman's comment had been reposted approximately 300 times and garnered about 9,600 likes. In stark contrast, Hirsch's response saw an astounding 9,000 reposts and received 122,000 likes, indicating a widespread resonance with his sentiment.
This isn't an isolated instance of a tech CEO proposing AI as a solution to aspects of human interaction, particularly concerning daily routines like morning commutes. Last year, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed he had replaced his usual podcast listening during his morning drive with conversations with an AI chatbot about those same podcasts.
Altman's latest post also aligns with previous statements he has made regarding parenting. Notably, during an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon," he asserted, "I cannot imagine having gone through figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT." He did, however, quickly add a caveat: "Clearly, people did it for a long time, no problem."
Engaging parents appears to be a strategic priority for OpenAI. The company recently advertised a job opening for a product manager, specifically seeking an individual with expertise in developing "trust-sensitive consumer experiences for parents and families," underscoring their focus on this demographic.
Despite OpenAI's efforts to integrate safety features for parents, the company is concurrently facing multiple lawsuits. These legal actions, brought by parents and families, allege that ChatGPT played a contributing role in loved ones experiencing delusions and suicides. OpenAI has publicly stated it is "continuously improving how our models respond in sensitive interactions."
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