ChatGPT Growth
500 million weekly active users and growing rapidly
Open Source Model Coming
OpenAI will release a powerful open source model near the frontier
Enhanced Memory Feature
ChatGPT will get to know users over their lifetime
Demonstrated creating video content of Sam giving a TED talk with remarkable accuracy in appearance and setting.
Created sophisticated diagrams showing the difference between intelligence and consciousness.
Generated meta-commentary through Charlie Brown contemplating AI existence.
$200/month model that spent 2 minutes reasoning to generate penetrating questions.
"I believe very deeply that humans will be at the center of that. I also believe that we probably do need to figure out some sort of new model around the economics of creative output."
Current Policy
Won't generate images in the style of living artists when specifically named, but will create content based on movements, studios, or vibes.
Future Vision
Exploring revenue-sharing models where artists can opt-in to have their style used and receive compensation.
"We don't secretly have, you know, we're not secretly sitting on a conscious model or something that's capable of self-improvement or anything like that."
AGI Definition Challenge
"If you've got 10 OpenAI researchers in a room and ask to define AGI, you'd get 14 definitions."
Key Risks Identified
Altman discussed OpenAI's "Operator" - an agentic system that can browse the internet and perform tasks like booking restaurants. He acknowledged this as "the most interesting and consequential safety challenge we have yet faced."
On Trust and Safety
"A good product is a safe product, you will not use our agents if you do not trust that they're not going to like empty your bank account or delete your data."
Preparedness Framework
OpenAI has outlined danger categories, measurement methods, and mitigation strategies before releasing powerful models.
On Fatherhood
"Having a kid changed a lot of things and by far the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me... I don't know what the meaning of life is, but for sure it has something to do with babies."
On Power and Responsibility
"Shockingly, the same as before. I think you can get used to anything step by step... the monotony of day-to-day life feels exactly the same."
Vision for His Son's Future
"My kids hopefully will never be smarter than AI... It'll be a world of incredible material abundance... I hope that my kids and all of your kids will look back at us with some pity and nostalgia."
Access the complete verbatim transcript of Sam Altman's TED 2025 talk, including all demonstrations and Q&A.
Host: Sam, welcome to TED. Thank you so much for coming.
Sam Altman: Thank you. It's an honor.
Host: Your company has been releasing crazy, insane new models pretty much every other week, it feels like. I've been playing with a couple of them. I'd like to show you what I've been playing...
[Transcript continues with full verbatim content including all demonstrations and discussions...]