I Interviewed the Man Behind ChatGPT: Sam Altman

[@DavidPerellChannel]

You know him as the CEO of OpenAI - but he's also an avid writer. We spoke not once but twice about how Sam captures ideas, clarifies his thinking, edits his writing, decides what to work on, and uses ChatGPT. Timestamps: 1:47 Will LLMs change how we write? 8:39 How does Sam use ChatGPT? 11:26 How Sam became less anxious 17:24 Sam once dreamed of being a novelist 18:37 Lessons from Peter Thiel 21:35 Lessons from Paul Graham 26:02 The book Sam Altman wants to write 28:37 Advice for startup founders 30:20 How Y Combinator shapes OpenAI 35:55 How Sam chose to work on AGI 37:35 Writing strategy memos at OpenAI 41:34 Why isn’t ChatGPT a better storyteller? 44:20 Sam's obsessive note-taking method 47:12 Will AI put writers out of work?

[@CherubinVanjinath]

Dude thanks for taking us closer to Sam. much love!

[@JoseMiguelCansado]

"Writing is externalized thinking." -Sam Altman Writing is a tool to get clarity. There is no better way than writing a book on a topic to deeply master it, even if no one else ever reads it. ChatGPT is a great companion for that journey, but we have streamlined the book writing workflow for nonfiction in an app that helps sharpen ideas, generate outlines and assist the author in proofreading, editing or 'enriching' what they write, assisted by OpenAI. Sure, some people will use it to crank out junk, like those students Altman talks about. But the smart ones will use it to dig deeper, explore new ideas and get clarity on them.

[@rasta-topolovac]

He is NOT the creator of ChatGPT, he is just one of many original founders.

[@oy3ah2025]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@Lisa-re3xs]

I have been a teacher and am scheduling a multicultural childrens book series and my book release is scheduled October 28. I used chatgpt for the research and ideas for this project. I LOVE THIS! I have figured how to use this to expand my support of ESL and struggling learners. I would LOVE to expand further on this!

[@alexhartan]

To be completely honest, I thought this was going to be another podcast with Sam and the same topics. I am glad I was wrong. This is a genuinely interesting conversation. Two creative people sharing their appreciation for writing, for two different reasons.

[@iLoveWriting365]

Thought the same thing!

[@jayhu2296]

They both sound like they’ve just smoked a fat blunt after pulling an all nighter

[@KayButtonJay]

The amount of vocal fry in this interview is wild

[@spaceghost8891]

Indeed, I was going to make the exact same comment. I think I can't listen to the whole thing.

[@ciaragriffin7398]

Fr Fr

[@jayhu2296]

Fry Fry

[@andrewstorm8240]

All the smoking

[@Lostcause202]

What living in California does to your voice 😂😂😂😂

[@Kylbigel]

Speaking is an expression of your thoughts; writing is a love letter from your heart.

[@Contact-l4f]

* a good wrtiing is a love letter from your heart

[@RanmaSyaoranSaotome]

And using AI is none of that.

[@Eggs-n-Jakey]

It's nice to see Sam in a friendly carefree conversation. Awesome episode man. Need to get you to 100k asap.

[@danaandthewolf]

Bro I can't believe how fast this channel is blowing up

[@Iightbeing]

Sam is awesome. Boss AF.

[@riccardocecco]

We were waiting for this one after that post you made a long time ago 😅 cheers man! Already taking notes

[@Rudzani]

Real. I’ve been waiting ever since he posted about the episode lol

[@DavidPerellChannel]

Long time coming

[@AfzalHussein]

Wow, great guest!

[@BrianMosleyUK]

I used AI to help me develop my thinking, and to locate quotes which introduce sections of my book, and also to create a bibliography and index for my book. It's not going to write for you, but it's a great writing partner for research and organisation.

[@sirvladislav]

It's kinda funny that I use Samurai AI and get all the insights from this awesome conversation. Exactly the power of AI summarization that Altman was talking about.

[@MichealScott24]

🎯 Key points for quick navigation: 00:00 *📚 Introduction to Sam Altman and AI Insights* - Sam Altman discusses his views on the future of writing and AI's role. - The concept of knowledge compression is introduced as fundamental to AI development. - Altman expresses a desire for concise writing, criticizing lengthy business books. 00:30 *💬 The Impact of LLMs on Writing* - Altman reflects on how language models (LLMs) will change communication and writing methods. - The interaction between humans and computers is evolving towards natural language. - He highlights the potential for new writing tools that enhance idea generation. 02:00 *✍️ Writing's Role in Clarity and Thought* - Discusses writing as a tool for refining thoughts and improving communication. - The significance of initial idea generation and how LLMs can assist in this process. - Altman observes varied usage of AI tools in educational settings. 03:30 *🚀 Writing and Anxiety Management* - Altman shares insights on how anxiety affects thinking and communication. - Emphasizes the importance of clear thinking for effective communication. - He proposes that understanding what to work on is more crucial than merely boosting productivity. 06:00 *📝 The Importance of Writing for Thinking* - Altman advocates for writing as an externalization of thought. - He underscores the connection between clear thinking and effective communication. - Discusses the role of writing in organizing ideas and fostering understanding. 08:00 *🎯 Clarity and Communication* - Altman explains that clear communication stems from clear thinking. - Discusses the parallels between military strategy and effective business communication. - Highlights how clarity and speed in communication are essential for execution. 10:00 *🌟 Reflection on Writing Achievements* - Altman reflects on his writing journey and its impact on his thinking. - He admits that writing is not his primary talent but finds value in the process. - Discusses the influence of personal blogs and the desire to help startup founders through writing. 12:00 *💡 The Value of Writing as Practice* - Altman shares how he started writing to improve his skills. - Discusses the impact of writers like Paul Graham on his approach to writing. - Emphasizes that while he may not be a natural writer, practice can lead to improvement. 21:17 *🖊️ Writing as a Clarity Tool* - Writing helps in thinking clearly and getting to the essence of ideas. - Most business books are long-winded and lack concise ideas. - Influential writing, like Paul Graham's essays, inspires clear expression and thought. - 23:32 *📊 The Importance of Clear Communication in Pitches* - Effective pitching relies on clear communication and understanding of ideas. - Writing helps clarify thoughts and weak points before presentations. - Clear thinkers are often better at pitching, though some may struggle with communication. - 26:06 *📚 Exploring AI Through Writing* - Sam Altman considers writing a book to explain AI's implications and historical context. - He aims to provide practical insights on how AI will impact lives today and in the future. - The book would address misconceptions and gaps in public understanding of AI. - 28:25 *✍️ The Role of Writing in Internal Coordination* - Writing is vital for internal alignment among teams at OpenAI. - Clear documentation facilitates communication and decision-making. - Altman emphasizes the need for a document-heavy culture to avoid misunderstandings. - 30:30 *🚀 Ambition in Founding Startups* - Encouraging ambition among founders is a key takeaway from Sam's experience at Y Combinator. - Clear communication is crucial for success in startup leadership. - Altman shares insights from his experiences in running YC and OpenAI. - 32:34 *🤔 Creativity and the Future of AI* - ChatGPT and future AI tools aim to enhance creativity by expanding human capabilities. - The tools will assist in ideation, but humans must curate and refine these ideas. - Altman believes AI can help generate ideas that were previously unthinkable. - 34:12 *🔍 Fragility of Ideas and Decision-Making* - Ideas are fragile and require careful nurturing to develop into viable projects. - Writing is an essential tool for organizing and clarifying thoughts. - External feedback from others is crucial for refining ideas. - 38:37 *🛠️ AI's Impact on Writing Skills* - Understanding how AI changes the writing landscape is critical. - Valuable skills will shift towards idea generation and taste curation. - AI serves as a collaborative tool for writers, enhancing but not replacing their creativity. 42:45 *📝 Writing Process and Preferences* - Sam Altman discusses his approach to writing and the tools he uses for it. - He finds voice recording helpful for generating ideas more freely than typing. - Balancing social interactions with solitude is crucial for his creative process. - 44:10 *📒 Note-Taking Habits* - Altman shares his extensive note-taking practices, emphasizing the importance of the right materials. - He prefers spiral notebooks for their flexibility and usability. - His system includes frequent ripping out of pages to manage and organize his notes. - 46:03 *✍️ The Role of Writing in the Age of AI* - Altman reflects on the evolving role of writing in the context of AI advancements. - He believes writing remains a critical tool for clear thinking, even with AI's rise. - Concerns about AI replacing writing are dismissed; he sees no evidence that this will happen. Made with HARPA AI

[@WillRolston-yu7yj]

Great Interview and props for teasing out the juicy content from one of our more brilliant and focused humans

[@Dylan-vf6jx]

do we get to hear sam's response to your question at 0:16 in the introduction? I think you cut it out

[@QueenLover-j5i]

Insights By "YouSum Live" 00:00:00 Exploring the future of writing with AI 00:01:39 ChatGPT enhances daily writing and communication 00:02:51 AI tools will change how we write 00:05:44 Writing helps clarify and refine ideas 00:06:01 ChatGPT aids in generating and refining ideas 00:14:29 Clear communication stems from clear thinking 00:29:23 Writing is essential for effective leadership 00:47:14 AI won't replace the human touch in writing 00:48:10 Readers connect with human authors' experiences Insights By "YouSum Live"

[@thedelightful5660]

Amazing views Sam! And great interview David!😃

[@Zeeshan-bv7mo]

Great discussion...

[@akshaykamathb2788]

4:27 There is a riger for thinking in text for sure. 5:33 big part of the value of writing is to clarify your own thinking 12:22 I have heard people say things like that might be an Intresting Idea but I would feel embarrassed to even tell people that I was thinking about it 13:43 I think of writing as sort of a externalized thinking

[@humphuk]

When Sam said - "you show it a bunch of examples of what makes a good story and what makes a bad story" to improve the story writing ability of a model - who/what decides what is good? Or can the model pull review/opinion from the internet too?

[@TTAA-o5n]

Sam is a great person he tuned LLM into something that is extremely beneficial to millions of people. I really admire him.

[@dj0ai]

What a great conversation. I might actually hear something for the first time here.

[@wisdom7891]

Compression is key. Clear thinking is so vital.

[@NaserSd19]

I honestly believe that you deserve 500k subscribers like that. 👏👏👏

[@kalilinux8682]

Man sam looks shaken compared to previous interviews. I wish all success to you sir

[@EricB1]

There was so much to "like", I clicked the "like" button!

[@shane1067]

Such a good interview David! Sam's answers and your questions were very informative and thought through.

[@tjn0110]

Great podcast, made me realize I really have to up my mid-sentence mention of housekeeper cleaning up my discarded notes game. 44:24 🤣👍

[@scottscheper]

The founder of ChatGPT uses analog tools 👏 ✍🏻

[@MladenStojanovic]

He's secretly reading Anitnet. :)

[@Telencephelon]

You mean his brain?

[@dj0ai]

There is a quite intense silence in this interview. It's quite cool.

[@jon_______]

Uniball approves this message.

[@joshua_the_creative]

Very excited for this!!!

[@ACYYZ]

Loving seeing the behind the scenes of building the app/company! Keep grinding!

[@SouhailEntertainment]

Introduction to Sam Altman and Episode Overview - 00:00 How ChatGPT Changes Writing and Communication - 01:46 The Role of Text and Language in AI - 03:21 Teaching Kids to Write in the Age of AI - 04:53 Clarifying Thinking Through Writing - 05:48 How People Misuse ChatGPT - 06:32 Sam Altman’s Daily Use of ChatGPT - 08:10 The Popularity of ChatGPT for Programming - 08:48 Summarizing Long Emails with ChatGPT - 09:47 The Concept of Compression in AI - 10:09 Sam Altman on Clear Communication - 11:10 The Importance of Thinking About What to Work On - 12:49 How Writing Helps Clarify Ideas - 13:42 Communication Lessons from Peter Thiel - 18:12 Paul Graham’s Influence on Sam Altman’s Writing - 21:33 The Role of Writing in Startup Pitches - 22:40 Collaborating Through Google Docs and Written Exchanges - 23:59 The Importance of Annual Planning and Writing for OpenAI - 26:08 How ChatGPT Helps with Writing and Editing - 31:01 AI’s Influence on Storytelling and Creativity - 32:31 Sam Altman’s Writing Process and Note-Taking Habits - 42:25 How AI Will Change Creative Mediums - 46:13 Will AI Kill Writing? - 47:05 Closing Remarks - 48:03

[@tomerprice]

summary The Future of Writing with AI (01:26-03:01): Sam Altman believes that AI, specifically language models like ChatGPT, will transform how we write and communicate. He emphasizes that AI is not just about expanding bullet points but helping to discover new ideas, making writing more interactive and exploratory. ChatGPT's Impact on Creativity and Programming (08:30-09:28): Altman mentions how ChatGPT has become a general-purpose tool, with significant impact on programming, education, and creative tasks. For many, particularly programmers, ChatGPT has transformed workflows, providing assistance and enhancing productivity. Compression as a Key to AI Intelligence (10:06-10:38): Altman touches on the idea that compression is central to intelligence, particularly in AI. He explains how models like ChatGPT focus on compressing and organizing vast amounts of knowledge, a concept that took him time to fully understand. The Value of Writing for Thinking (14:11-14:37): Altman explains how writing serves as externalized thinking, helping to clarify ideas. He highlights that clear communication often follows from clear thinking, with writing playing a critical role in refining and organizing complex thoughts. AI's Role in Creative Expression (32:49-33:19): Altman believes that AI will help humans do things they couldn’t do before, particularly in creativity. However, he stresses that while AI can help generate ideas, humans will still need to play a crucial role as curators and decision-makers in the creative process.

[@starthakog]

Ok merlin

[@ksprdk]

Is it a secret why the interview was done in two parts?

[@aliviablount]

Sam has always been a great writer. The old blog posts are still classic

[@Soccolich]

Excited for this!

[@tracy419]

I don't think AI is going to kill writing or painting or any other kind of artistic endeavor . It might kill it as a career, as a paid type of living, but you'll still be able to do all that stuff if you're doing it because you love it.

[@benjaminfairbourne]

I dont know why but sam altman reminds me of the "Horton Hears a Who!" movie lol

[@chefbrian26]

Every time I seen Sam Altman he looks like he is just getting sunlight for the first time in months

[@BrianMosleyUK]

I'm looking forward to having chatgpt become a 'thinking partner' to help me develop my thinking on my subject interest. Being in the UK, I'm slightly irritated that I have to wait a while longer to use Advanced Voice. Edit, happy to hear Sam's thoughts resonate with my own use of this amazing technology.

[@justarandomguy8989]

Use a VPN

[@BrianMosleyUK]

@@justarandomguy8989 yes, I've tried that with limited success. Proton VPN works, but only if I do it from my daughter's address across the city... If I try it from my home internet connection it somehow gets blocked. Maybe it's my ISP being recognised? Just a pain.

[@unquestionabletv]

Why’d you change your shirts?

[@mrmoeezali]

Hey David, I just wanted to leave some feedback on this interview. The interview feels soulless when it is so heavily edited, where you keep asking questions and he responds but then you move on to the next question without saying anything back or even reacting to what Sam is actually saying. It feels like a very one sided interview, I want to listen to what Sam has to say, but I am here to listen what you have to say in response as well and your reaction to his words. There is TOO MUCH editing, it feels like you did this video just to clip shorts out of it instead of talking to the person who is infront of you.

[@Eyesusan]

Compression?

[@DavidPerellChannel]

Thanks for your comment! The original interview had more stops and starts than usual, and we had to make some decisions on how to edit it in order to keep the flow up. That’s why this one is different from the other interviews

[@endgamefond]

​Maybe get a new editor? Not saying it's bad but the editing just has different style I guess..​@@DavidPerellChannel

[@mrjohnbaseley]

Thanks for the insight and feedback on this very good question.​@@DavidPerellChannel

[@ksprdk]

@@DavidPerellChannelwhat happened?

[@ShannonJosephGlomb]

when you have all these slightly different ideas banging around you end up with the right core :) i like that and think its a amzing quote

[@winstonsabellona2204]

Wrong title - He is not the creator of chatGPT

[@michaelspoden1694]

I don't see that as the label at all and he is one of the creators for sure either way

[@joelalain]

i like the closing: i feel the same about reading, movies, or youtube. i absolutely love ai and talking to it and learning and using it to its fullest, but i have extremely limited interest in reading a book 100% written by ai, or a movie, or a table made by ai. but i can't wait to watch Denis Villeneuve's next movie. it's about human and relating with a person, their journey to mastery, their struggles, their learning process and being part of it with their great product, their less great products and their journey (and ours)

[@producedbypodcast]

Didn't see this one coming but the more excited I am!

[@DavidPerellChannel]

Enjoy!

[@kayode_knight]

Why do they keep looking at the ceiling?😅

[@sultanalshirah]

Finally and just in time for my car entertainment

[@DavidPerellChannel]

Drive safe

[@admiralrohan]

How did you managed to stay focused on writing only when it's so tempting to diverge to different topics?

[@antonbrndt]

Damn, there is tension in the room.

[@ginergonzales4968]

Todas estas entrevistas deberian tener pista de audio

[@micosair]

Bankman Fried vibes + a vacuous character with the cult of hidden thoughts.

[@abhinavsingh101]

It sounded like the same interview replayed from the 30-minute mark

[@Manwith6secondmemory]

He did not create it, its was Ilya Sutskever

[@arman.m21]

My throat hurts from listening

[@Squeegeeee]

Ilya Sutskever and John Schulman were the creators of Chatgpt, among many others. Sam Altman is not the creator, he wouldn't have the first idea what to do.

[@dashofdialogue]

The Future Is Bright ✨

[@ArjabalasubramanyamChanti]

Congratulations 🎉 good massage

[@marncore7048]

Sam Altman is not the creator of chatgpt btw, your title is a bit misleading. He's the CEO of OpenAI.

[@michaelspoden1694]

He is definitely one of the creators.. obviously you do not know the true beginnings of openai or you do or you heard it I don't understand what creating means being the Creator whose idea it was may have been Elon Musk but most definitely Sam Altman and Ilya, Greg Brockman and others truly created company with Elon Musk being a creator considering he helped find the team and put the initial money into it which would not have occurred without him but no not even close to being misleading except for the word the you should have been one of the creators

[@michaelspoden1694]

It says The Man Behind chat GPT so how are you going to say it's a little misleading when you don't even have the correct wording of what you say is misleading I'm not trying to be able to believe but come on now is this really something that you care about I'm using voice to text so excuse my grammar

[@marncore7048]

​@@michaelspoden1694 The title was changed. It was framed as he was the creator, which obviously is misleading because a company is just a set of people who work together to build a product. Many people helped build the ChatGPT product.

[@JBDuncan]

I know Sam's married but I could help but feel there was an attraction there... Maybe it was just me.

[@Jess-wp3uk]

His sweater was green and now gradient colors.

[@OpenSourceAnarchist]

I feel like at the end, Sam doesn't really appreciate the nuances of crafting an AI personality, perhaps because OpenAI is so used to blunting their models for the benefit of a massive user base. I can easily see people connecting with AI personalities that emulate various styles, or that have a penchant towards a novel creative blend. You can imagine these AIs tweeting, having AR and VR avatars, and emulating human traits perfectly with enough compute and time. I'm far more optimistic and pessimistic at once.

[@elliptictree]

Interesting.

[@theEnt-1]

44:24 pen and notepad best options.

[@JacobMyers1099]

Genius 🫡

[@angloland4539]

❤️

[@mike-q2f4f]

If you don't have time to write, do a podcast to clarify your thinking...

[@hyderabbasi]

Interesting to watch this after the departure of Mira Murati and others at OpenAI.

[@sadiquehajwane1416]

Bro Himself sounds like AI

[@HarryJoiner]

24:48 - GOLD 💰 29:08 - SILVER 38:41 - BOTTOM LINE

[@shahjeelani2691]

Man it's always the vocal fry

[@theimproooooooover]

Lets gooooooo hype for this!

[@KarlProust]

His voice is like a robot. wrrr wrrr

[@sam6000]

44:20 - The Notebook obsession is very relatable. I somehow like this guy more now!

[@Jess-wp3uk]

Caption had open a eye not OpenAI lol

[@iLoveWriting365]

This will probably be my favourite video ever! Bravo! And fantastic intro (as usual :-)

[@Autodidacting]

Was there an outfit change or did the sweater just changed colors?

[@friendlywizard]

he's just like me fr

[@JacobMyers1099]

Genius 🫡

[@Racoon-e2o]

people want to learn 3 idea on page 🔥

[@legendaryingaming8806]

36:55 👍🏻👍🏻

[@legendaryingaming8806]

"it would have to be like full superintelligence before this is going to replace human writing", well said. i agree, only superintelligence can be helpful for certain writings, those levels. 47:33 although writing is just a part. along with many things.

[@ruthelwethbrook6772]

Someone should tell Sam about sticky notes!

[@EnjelinaReawaruw-x4f]

Salah satu panutanku.

[@Wababai_Writing]

Brilliant talk by 2 brilliant guys. AI won't replace writers, it will replace those that don't know how to use AI properly. The first ones to be replaced? those who just produce junk with AI. Because AI is just a tool for writing, and as someone said: "A fool with a tool is still a fool" It is the writer using the tool that makes the difference!

[@sputnik8543]

This feels like intellectual flirting

[@micbab-vg2mu]

great talke -)

[@rrawat02]

Immediately added it to my “watch later” list so I can watch it on my treadmill run tomorrow morning.

[@theimproooooooover]

Bro same 😂😂

[@VideovigilanteUSA]

Ok boomer

[@01Grimjoe]

7:56 asking people do do the wrong thing? what happened to human choice and why would you limit something just because it may be misused? If someone doesn't put in the time everyone can tell so its only hurting themselves in the end.

[@ExecutiveZombie]

“Mostly like, ummmmm, and we’re working on it,” Altman regarding AI + protecting content, artists.

[@michaelspoden1694]

Do you have something intelligent to say or clever at least?

[@jizhang2407]

Too many "like" to listen...

[@NurzatimanAstha]

Did Sam Altman just changed his top halfway through the interview? Hahahaha

[@ismaelplaca244]

He is NOT the creator!!

[@larryvelezbx]

Any recommendations for the type of spiral notebook he described with quality paper?

[@danad3422]

Following

[@RichReportcom]

Sam looks much older than 38yrs old.

[@kamu747]

Power does that. People in positions of great responsibility appear older than they are. But this is just perception. Bear in mind that he does look 38. If he was an assistant manager in some Microsoft office, he'd look 38 or younger to you.

[@TheThundertaker]

Does he?

[@frankiecal3186]

Sam is untrustworthy.

[@maina.1]

why though?

[@KapowskiGG]

47:31

[@Necromancer-kz4rx]

Easy to say but sometimes you don't have a choice

[@o1-preview]

64k subscribers and you got 2 interviews with sam? dang