2025-08-15T16:17:30Z

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What if I told you that a digital assistant might soon hold more conversations than all of humanity combined? That's not just a bold claim; it's what Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, believes is on the horizon for ChatGPT!

During a recent dinner with journalists in San Francisco, Altman shared his ambitious vision: “If you project our growth forward, pretty soon billions of people a day will be talking to ChatGPT,” he stated. He went on to suggest that, at some point, ChatGPT could end up having more dialogues than all human beings combined. Can you imagine a world where your digital chatbot seems more chatty than your best friend?

These remarks come on the heels of the chaotic launch of GPT-5, a new flagship model that didn't go as smoothly as many had hoped. Some users were taken aback by the new model's tone, describing it as less friendly and supportive compared to its predecessor. After significant pushback, OpenAI had to reverse its decision to stop offering access to GPT-4o, highlighting just how sensitive users are to these changes.

Launched in November 2022 without much fanfare, ChatGPT quickly exploded onto the tech scene, becoming one of the fastest-growing products in history. Its ability to mimic human conversations and solve problems sparked new hopes of creating machines that are as intelligent as we are. However, Altman admitted that OpenAI miscalculated the impact of GPT-5's tone on its user base. He assured that more customization options are on the way to better meet the diverse needs of users.

He explained, “There will have to be a very different kind of product offering to accommodate the extremely wide diversity of use cases and people.” Acknowledging concerns about whether AI is experiencing a bubble, Altman responded with a resounding “for sure,” but he reassured skeptics that the underlying technology remains transformative. He noted, “When bubbles happen, smart people get overexcited about a kernel of truth.”

Looking ahead, Altman projected that OpenAI would invest trillions of dollars in data centers very soon, sparking concerns of reckless spending. He anticipates economic debates surrounding these investments, but he confidently stated, “You know what? Let us do our thing.”

When pressed on where he would find those trillions, Altman hinted at developing an innovative financial instrument specifically designed for computing needs, suggesting that they are working on something groundbreaking.

While Altman recognizes that not all AI investments will yield success, he likened it to the dot-com boom, where some lost fortunes while others struck gold. OpenAI recently raised $40 billion to further its journey toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), bringing its valuation to a staggering $300 billion. If rumors of a stock sale materialize, it could skyrocket OpenAI's valuation to $500 billion.

“Someone is going to lose a phenomenal amount of money; we don't know who, and a lot of people are going to make a phenomenal amount of money,” Altman said. “And my personal belief, although I may turn out to be wrong, is that on the whole, this will be a huge net win for the economy.”