GoKawiilSam Altman admits OpenAI misjudged how fast people would adopt AI
In a podcast interview with David Senra, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman conceded that he and other industry leaders were overly optimistic about how quickly society would embrace AI tools. He pointed to the inertia of existing habits and business relationships as the main reason adoption has been slower than predicted, despite growing chatbot usage among US adults.
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Altman's admission undercuts years of industry rhetoric promising rapid, sweeping AI-driven disruption, suggesting the transformation will be more gradual than investors and companies have been led to expect. It also comes amid rising public backlash over data centers, job losses tied to automation, and broader skepticism about AI's risks, all of which complicate the narrative of inevitable fast adoption.
- Nearly 49% of US adults now use AI chatbots, up from 33% two years ago but still far from universal.
- Altman blames slow adoption on economic and behavioral inertia rather than the technology's limitations.
- Growing anti-AI sentiment, including data center backlash and job losses, is emerging alongside AI's expansion.
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Published there as: “"We've all been too ambitious": Sam Altman says our old habits are delaying the great AI transition”
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