Sam Altman says people are starting to talk like AI

On Monday, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, shared intriguing observations regarding the way people communicate online, suggesting that social media users may be adopting the peculiarities of AI language models. In a post on X, he described his bewilderment while browsing numerous discussions about Codex, OpenAI's latest tool designed for developers. Although he acknowledged the genuine growth of Codex, Altman expressed skepticism about the authenticity of many posts, suspecting that they might be artificially generated by bots. Altman offered several theories to explain the increase in AI-like communication on social platforms. He noted that individuals might unconsciously mimic the unique characteristics of AI-generated speech. Furthermore, he pointed out that the online community, particularly the 'Extremely Online' demographic, tends to converge in their communication styles. He also suggested that the hype surrounding new AI technologies contributes to an extreme discourse, characterized by a cycle of enthusiasm that swings between extremes of optimism and pessimism. This phenomenon might be intensified by the engagement-driven algorithms of social media platforms, which prioritize content that garners attention, leading to a proliferation of low-quality, AI-generated content, which he referred to as 'AI slop.' Altman had previously remarked on this trend in a prior post, where he expressed his surprise at the abundance of accounts seemingly managed by AI. Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, echoed Altman's concerns, noting that the rise of AI-generated content is not limited to anonymous bots but also includes numerous aspiring influencers. This growing presence of low-effort AI content has raised alarms among industry leaders, including Substack CEO Chris Best, who warned that the media landscape could soon be overwhelmed by such 'engagement bait,' which could lead to a decline in the quality of online discourse. Altman and his peers are clearly concerned about the implications of this shift, highlighting a critical moment in how AI is influencing human communication and the overall integrity of online interactions.