Oprah Winfrey praised artificial intelligence alongside OpenAI CEO Sam Altman ahead of her primetime special on the technology, calling it “miraculous” and “profound.”
The 70-year-old billionaire’s TV special, AI and the Future of Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special, plans to address the transformative power of AI.
The media mogul said in the article that we should “honor” the technology as she believes artificial intelligence will “change us in unimaginable ways for the better.”
Winfrey shared that her first encounter with the new technology was linked to her conversation with Altman, co-founder of OpenAI.
She admitted she was afraid of the innovative software after Altman, 39, told her about its wide and varied capabilities. She was shocked when she couldn’t keep up with the chat-based software.
“For me it was a miracle that before you could practically finish the applications, you got the answer,” he said in an interview with ABC News.
Billionaire Oprah Winfrey’s television special, ‘AI and the Future of Us: An Oprah Winfrey Special,’ plans to tackle the transformative topic of AI.
Sam Altman, 39, CEO of OpenAI, sits down for an exclusive interview with Oprah airing tonight on ABC
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates will address workforce and job creation concerns surrounding AI in Winfrey’s ABC special.
AI has been a highly controversial topic, especially since the launch of OpenAI in 2015. Many have expressed concerns and fears that generative software risks undermining the complexity of human consciousness.
Others share concerns about the workforce and job creation, both topics addressed in the short film by special guest, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.
“Life for all of us is about to be very different,” Oprah told ABC.
The special seeks to explore “the profound impact of artificial intelligence on people’s daily lives, demystifying the technology and empowering viewers to understand the evolving future of AI.”
He also questioned the possibilities and potential danger of software that emulates humans, suggesting that social media has left society in a precarious position. He hopes people will become “more disciplined” with their use of AI.
“We need to do everything we can to avoid being in the same situation we are in now with social media,” he added.
Many have taken to social media to share their skepticism about the celebrity special, with one user on X saying: “I’m no expert, but shouldn’t interviewing someone about AI safety require some basic knowledge of the technology?”
The hour-long special features exclusive interviews with Altman, Gates, YouTube creator Marques Brownlee and FBI Director Christopher Wray, among others, and will air on ABC tonight at 8 p.m. ET.
Another X user quoted Brian Merchant, author of an AI newsletter, as saying: “It’s certainly nice to have Oprah present this extended sales pitch for the generative AI industry at a time when its fortunes are waning and the bubble is threatening to burst.”
OpenAI was founded in December 2015 by Altman, Elon Musk and others. The company researches and develops artificial intelligence, a branch of computer science that enables machines to perform tasks that would otherwise require human intelligence.
The hour-long special features exclusive interviews with Altman, Gates, YouTube creator Marques Brownlee and FBI Director Christopher Wray, among others. It will air on ABC on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET.