At first, Altman believed he could control his usage and planned to watch TikTok for only a few minutes before bed. Instead, those short sessions quickly turned into hours of nonstop scrolling. He said one Saturday he spent nearly three hours on the couch watching videos before realizing the app had become a real problem.
Altman described the experience as feeling “like a drug.” Although he enjoyed using the app, he said he could also tell it was unhealthy and consuming too much of his time. After trying to limit himself to just five to ten minutes each night, he eventually decided the only solution was to delete TikTok completely.
The OpenAI CEO also shared that he has turned off nearly every notification on his phone, including messages, calling it one of the biggest improvements he has made to his daily life. He believes constant notifications pull people away from what really matters.
Looking ahead, Altman said OpenAI wants to build AI products that help people instead of trapping them in endless scrolling. While he believes future ChatGPT-powered devices will be useful and empowering, he also warned that some people will inevitably misuse the technology in ways that could make their lives worse.