Altman unwinds with TikTok

The OpenAI CEO watches 5 to 10 minutes of short-form videos before bed to relax, just like millions of other Americans.

“I happen to like short-form video. I happen to like the ability to watch 5 or 10 minutes of short-form video before I go to bed as a way to unwind and relax a little bit.”

His scrolling spiraled out of control

While developing Sora, Altman's TikTok use escalated from minutes to an hour, then to three hours on a Saturday afternoon.

He deleted the app entirely

Altman removed TikTok from his phone because he felt he lacked the self-control to manage his usage, comparing it to the iPhone's power.

“I deleted TikTok because it was just too powerful.”

He won't let his kids use it

As a father, Altman believes short-form video is dangerous for Gen Alpha and that kids can't reasonably resist the dopamine hit.

“I do think it's dangerous.”

Teens report real harms

A Pew Research survey found 28% of teen TikTok users say they spend too much time on it, 37% report sleep disruption, and 29% say it hurts productivity.

Other CEOs use TikTok strategically

Virgin Group CEO Josh Bayliss scrolls TikTok to understand younger consumers, while other executives use social media breaks for wellness.

“The zeitgeist is not people in their 50s like me. The zeitgeist is 20-something year olds who are shaping the culture that we have an obligation to serve.”

Altman prefers reading books

When he steps away from social media, Altman returns to his analog hobby of reading, particularly first-hand accounts of past technological revolutions.

“I love reading. One of my hobbies is to read first-party contemporaneous accounts of previous technological revolutions.”