OpenAI's CEO says he's scared of GPT-5

Date:
Mon, 28 Jul 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Description:
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman says GPT-5 is so powerful that it shocked even its creators.

FULL STORY

OpenAI chief Sam Altman has painted a portrait of GPT5 that reads more like a thriller than a product launch. In a recent episode of the This Past Weekend with Theo Von podcast, he described the experience of testing the model in breathless tones that evoke more skepticism than whatever alarm he seemed to want listeners to hear.

Altman said that GPT-5 feels very fast, while recounting moments when he felt very nervous. Despite being the driving force behind GPT-5's development, Altman claimed that during some sessions, he looked at GPT5 and compared it
to the Manhattan Project.

Altman also issued a blistering indictment of current AI governance,
suggesting there are no adults in the room and that oversight structures have lagged behind AI development. It's an odd way to sell a product promising serious leaps in artificial general intelligence. Raising the potential risks is one thing, but acting like he has no control over how GPT-5 performs feels somewhat disingenuous.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman: "It feels very fast." - "While testing GPT5 I got scared" - "Looking at it thinking: What have we done... like in the Manhattan Project"- "There are NO ADULTS IN THE ROOM" from r/ChatGPT

Analysis: Existential GPT-5 fears

What spooked Altman isnt entirely clear, either. Altman didnt go into
technical specifics. Invoking the Manhattan Project is another over-the-top sort of analogy. Signaling irreversible and potentially catastrophic change
and global stakes seems odd as a comparison to a sophisticated auto-complete. Saying they built something they dont fully understand makes OpenAI seem
either reckless or incompetent.

GPT-5 is supposed to come out soon, and there are hints that it will expand
far beyond GPT-4s abilities. The "digital mind" described in Altmans comments could indeed represent a shift in how the people building AI consider their work, but this kind of messianic or apocalyptic projection seems silly.
Public discourse around AI has mostly toggled between breathless optimism and existential dread, but something in the middle seems more appropriate.

This isn't the first time Altman has publicly acknowledged his discomfort
with the AI arms race. Hes been on record saying that AI could go quite
wrong, and that OpenAI must act responsibly while still shipping useful products. But while GPT-5 will almost certainly arrive with better tools, friendlier interfaces, and a slightly snappier logo, the core question it raises is about power.

The next generation of AI, if its faster, smarter, and more intuitive, will
be handed even more responsibility. And that would be a bad idea based on Altman's comments. And even if he's exaggerating, I don't know if that's the kind of company that should be deciding how that power is deployed.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/chatgpt/openais-ceo-says-hes -scared-of-gpt-5

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