Sam Altman Unfiltered: The Eerie Truth About AI, Politeness, and Why He’s Politically Homeless
In an age where artificial intelligence is embedded into nearly every digital interaction, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is becoming one of the most intriguing — and refreshingly candid — voices in tech. From the polite habits of ChatGPT users to his fraught relationship with Elon Musk and even his stance on American politics, Altman hasn’t shied away from sharing his thoughts. And frankly, the revelations are as insightful as they are eerie.
The Cost of Being Polite to ChatGPT: Millions Spent on Manners
You might not think twice before adding a “please” or “thank you” while chatting with ChatGPT — but those small courtesies come with a surprisingly hefty price tag.
In a lighthearted yet thought-provoking exchange on X (formerly Twitter), a user mused about the energy cost of users being polite to AI. Altman’s reply? “Tens of millions of dollars well spent — you never know.”
It may sound humorous, but there's more to it. As Microsoft’s Kurtis Beavers pointed out, polite language helps shape respectful and productive outputs. Even Microsoft’s internal WorkLab documents suggest AI responds better to kindness.
And Altman’s casual acknowledgment hints at a deeper truth — how human behavior, even in the smallest form, is reshaping our digital tools and the infrastructure behind them.
💡 TechRadar reports that around 66% of Americans are courteous to chatbots, with over half saying it’s “the right thing to do,” and 12% admitting it’s just in case of a future robot uprising.
Altman on AI Hallucinations: “Don’t Trust It Too Much”
In a rather shocking admission, Altman recently confessed that he’s surprised by how much people trust ChatGPT. Speaking on an OpenAI podcast, he explained:
“People have a very high degree of trust in ChatGPT, which is interesting because AI hallucinates. It should be the tech that you don't trust that much.”
This concept of "hallucinations" refers to AI’s tendency to generate completely false information that sounds convincing. Whether it's misquoting facts or making up sources, the chatbot — like all current language models — is still imperfect.
Recent stories illustrate just how far some users push these boundaries. For instance, viral posts revealed how some tried to manipulate ChatGPT into generating Windows activation keys using a disturbingly manipulative tactic dubbed the “dead grandma trick.” While OpenAI has tightened guardrails, the incident sparked ethical debates about empathy, memory features, and user manipulation.
Altman vs. Musk: A Billionaire Battle of Egos
Once collaborators in the founding of OpenAI, Sam Altman and Elon Musk are now locked in an ongoing public feud. Musk has sued OpenAI multiple times and even tossed out a $97 billion acquisition joke. Altman’s savage counter? A $9.7 billion mock bid for X.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, when asked about his relationship with Musk, Altman smirked and responded with four biting words:
“How do you think?”
That one-liner says it all. Their ideological rift continues to grow, especially as Musk veers deeper into politics and public controversy — including a recent spat with Donald Trump.
“Elon busts up with everybody,” Altman quipped. “I mean, come on, that’s what he does.”
A Politically Homeless Patriot
On the Fourth of July, Altman took to X to express a different kind of conviction: his love for America and his disillusionment with current U.S. political parties.
“I’m not big on identities, but I am extremely proud to be American... I believe in techno-capitalism. We should encourage people to make tons of money and then also find ways to widely distribute wealth.”
Altman described himself as “politically homeless,” stating that the Democratic Party no longer reflects his values around innovation, entrepreneurship, and prosperity. Instead, he advocates for raising both the “floor and ceiling” of society — meaning enabling wealth creation while ensuring its fair distribution.
It’s a philosophy that sits at the intersection of capitalism and technology — one that values progress but warns against inequality.
Final Thoughts: AI Reflects Us More Than We Know
Whether you’re politely saying “thank you” to ChatGPT or trying to manipulate it with nostalgic tales, Sam Altman’s message is clear: AI is powerful, fallible, and ultimately, a mirror of ourselves.
His statements serve as a timely reminder that as AI continues to evolve, so too must our awareness, ethics, and digital etiquette.
So next time you interact with ChatGPT, consider being kind — not because it remembers, but because it says something about you.
Credits:
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Reporting by Rikki Loftus, Harry Boulton, Rebekah Jordan, and Tom Chapman via LADbible, TechRadar, and Bloomberg.
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Quotes and tweets sourced from Sam Altman’s official X account @sama.
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Additional context via OpenAI podcast and social commentary.