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You really should, unfortunately, be worried about Sam Altman

AI In Context

3,484,978 views

"You could parachute him into an island full of cannibals and come back in 5 years and he'd be the king." That's how a Silicon Valley legend described Sam Altman at age 22. It was supposed to be a compliment. It also helps explain what might be the most dramatic weekend in the history of tech.

What you can do right now → https://80000hours.org/open-ai/

In 2023, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said: “No one person should be trusted here… The board can fire me. That's important.” Five months later, they tried. Within days, he’d led an employee revolt that ousted several board members and put him back in power. At the time, no one knew the full story. We know a lot more now.

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Key Topics: Sam Altman, OpenAI, AI safety, the future of AGI.

Watch previous videos:
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
01:33 Friday
06:34 The Kill Switch
11:14 Saturday
13:48 What Ilya Saw
18:06 Sunday
20:55 The Dossier
24:56 Monday
27:34 King of the Cannibals
30:37 Tuesday
32:00 Aftermath
35:34 Who Decides

Our sources and bibliography: https://80000hours.org/open-ai/

Credits
Host / Aric Floyd
Writer / Phoebe Brooks
Additional Writing / Aric Floyd, Chana Messinger
Director / Phoebe Brooks
Producers / Chana Messinger, Sage Bergerson
Production Designers / Liberty Scarlett, Millie Wilkie
Director of Photography / Charles Mori
1st Assistant Camera / Benjy Kirkman
Sound Recordist / David Erwood
Gaffer / Jon Prentice
Spark / Alejandro Restrepo Celis
Lighting Trainee / Santiago Toranzo
Production Assistant / Scarlett Langley
Editor / Phoebe Brooks
Graphics & Animation / Sam Watkins, Daniel Recinto, Ale Bonilla Rojas, Jasper Luithlen
Graphic Design / Nik Mastroddi, Ailbhe Treacy, Emily Marais, Eric Lynch, Michelle Foley, Jakub Misiek, Alex Savard, Amen Gashaw
Additional Cinematography / Nick Dolph
Post-production Assistant / Hannah Barrios

See our landing page for more work by our crew.

Special thanks to Tyler Johnston, Daniel Kokotajlo, and Tyler Whitmer for their interviews.

And additional thanks to Bella Forristal, Arden Koehler, Jonny Boomer, Justin Portela, Caitlin Borke, Niel Bowerman, Conor Barnes, John Leaver, Eve McCormick, Rob Wiblin, Petr Lebedev, Valerie Richmond, Laura González Salmerón, Ashley Meader, Siliconversations, Shootfactory, and The Unit Bag.

Musicbed: MB01OUX7FKNB7E8, MB01L0MZA4CH3CQ, MB016GTIDVAZZ0W, MB01XKRRHV9NCRS, MB01SHEFX1P0T1T, MB01H7XKR2O8WC0, MB013ZUFWYHLA2T

This video is a production of 80,000 Hours. Find us at https://80000hours.org/org-home/ and subscribe to the 80,000 Hours YouTube channel here: @eightythousandhours

20 Comments

@AI_In_Context Creator 3 months ago (edited) Pinned

Bear with me, two more things:
1. We really worked hard on our landing page, so check it out: https://80000hours.org/open-ai/

2. We had to kill some darlings in this script, and I just can’t stop thinking about this quote from a former OpenAI executive that didn’t make it in: “The truth is, we’re building portals from which we’re genuinely summoning aliens. The portals currently exist in the United States and China, and Sam has added one in the Middle East… it’s just, like, wildly important to understand how scary that should be. It’s the most reckless thing that has been done.”

I wish we had time to unpack it all but essentially this was about Sam Altman pushing for a data center in an autocratic country. OpenAI immediately announced this plan in May 2025 when the Trump administration relaxed export controls. Wanted to give you an example of how the stakes are very real and playing out right now.

@Mah_Neff 3 months ago

I hate how often the world has felt like "the future depends on the moral compass of like 5 people" and how every time it's only about psychopathic billionaires.

@senorpolainas3567 2 weeks ago

Give your cameraman and editor a raise. I can't believe I'm watching this for free.

Crazy work

@oejah19 2 months ago

"AI will probably, most likely lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there will be great companies created."
WHAAAT?!

@therealxoc 2 weeks ago

His eyes are terrifying, man. He has the eyes of a goddamned cadaver.

@kevinscottbailey8335 3 months ago

I trust Google far more than I trust Sam Altman. And I don't trust Google much at all.

@jamesdiamond2583 3 months ago

“It’s hard to work knowing they can just fire me.” That’s literally the what having a boss is.

@infamoustony 3 months ago

Sam Altman DEADASS said "AI would likely end the world, but it's cool tho"

@naruman7 1 month ago (edited)

I met Altman in London way back when he was on tour. He gave me chills not because he was a particularly good speaker or was charismatic. He was very very good at pretending to be "just a guy". He lures you into a false sense of shared purpose; He disarms you by validating your perspective instead of becoming defensive. Isn't AI impact on the market dangerous "yeah you're right but we're in it together" Isn't AI detrimental to human survival? "yeah shucks what can we do about it?"
Never felt right whenever I heard him talk or read about him and now I know why.

@magatilithertz8414 2 months ago (edited)

TLDR: basically they fired him for being out of control and not having integrity to follow the mission of the company, but because it happened at the same time that all the employees were just about to be able to sell their stock and get rich, they revolted and all demanded be reinstated. They ultimately got their way and their money.

So essentially humanity is doomed because 700 people wanted to get rich. Got it.

@11211-h 3 months ago

It's so eerie to watch such a dystopian villain come about in real time. Thanks for the video

@robertmz22 3 months ago

"Will a con artist who's never faced consequences in over 20 years of conning continue to con?" There, fixed the title.

@Aye.S.O 1 month ago

The “partying through the fire alarm” quote is the perfect analogy for the entire A.I industry

@jolly_red158 3 months ago

"Once you've been shopping for pc parts, you'll never stop wanting to beat sam altman with your bare hands"

@0xredact3d 3 months ago

6:39 Elon, Peter Thiel and Sam Altman having the mission to “save the world” is a joke of itself.

@dabluflcn 3 months ago

It always felt like if the board had been honest about why they wanted to fire him, they could have fought to keep the court of public opinion on their side. Because their fears were right.