Will AI take away our sense of purpose? Sam Altman says, ‘People Will have to redefine what it means to contribute'

Economic Times

a day ago

Synopsis
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, in a conversation with Theo Von, addressed concerns about AI's impact on humanity. Altman acknowledged anxieties surrounding job displacement and data privacy, particularly regarding users sharing personal information with AI. He highlighted the lack of legal protections for AI conversations, creating a privacy risk.
AP OpenAI CEO Sam Altman talked about AI's impact on jobs and human purpose. Altman acknowledged concerns about data privacy and the rapid pace of AI development. He also addressed the lack of clear legal regulations. Altman highlighted the risks of users sharing personal information with AI. In a rare, thought-provoking conversation that danced between comedy and existential crisis, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sat down with podcaster Theo Von on This Past Weekend. What unfolded was less a traditional interview and more a deeply human dialogue about the hopes, fears, and massive unknowns surrounding artificial intelligence. As AI continues its unstoppable advance, Von posed a question many of us have been quietly asking: 'Are we racing toward a future where humans no longer matter?'
Altman didn't sugarcoat the situation. He agreed with many of Von's concerns, from data privacy to AI replacing jobs, and even the unnerving pace at which the technology is evolving. 'There's this race happening,' Altman said, referring to the breakneck competition among tech companies. 'If we don't move fast, someone else will — and they might not care as much about the consequences.' But amid all the alarms, Altman offered a cautious dose of optimism. 'Even in a world where AI is doing all of this stuff humans used to do,' he said, 'we are going to find a way to feel like the main characters.' His tone, however, betrayed a sense of uncertainty: the script isn't written yet.
Perhaps the most powerful moment came when Von bluntly asked: 'What happens to our sense of purpose when AI does everything for us?' Altman acknowledged that work has always been a major source of meaning for people. While he's hopeful that AI will free humans to pursue more creative or emotional pursuits, he conceded that the transition could be deeply painful. 'One of the big fears is like purpose, right?' Von said. 'Like, work gives us purpose. If AI really continues to advance, it feels like our sense of purpose would start to really disappear.' Altman responded with guarded hope: 'People will have to redefine what contribution looks like… but yeah, it's going to be unsettling.'
In what may be one of the most revealing admissions from a tech CEO, Altman addressed the disturbing trend of people — especially young users — turning to AI as a confidant or therapist. 'People talk about the most personal sh*t in their lives to ChatGPT,' he told Von. 'But right now, if you talk to a therapist or a lawyer or a doctor about those problems, there's legal privilege… We haven't figured that out yet for when you talk to ChatGPT.' With AI tools lacking legal confidentiality protections, users risk having their most intimate thoughts stored, accessed, or even subpoenaed in court. The privacy gap is real, and Altman admitted the industry is still trying to figure it out. Adding to the complexity, Altman highlighted how the lack of federal AI regulations has created a patchwork of rules that vary wildly across states. This legal uncertainty is already playing out in real-time — OpenAI, for example, is currently required to retain user conversations, even deleted ones, as part of its legal dispute with The New York Times.
'No one had to think about that even a year ago,' Altman said, calling the situation 'very screwed up.'