Sam Altman's 'Ai Smarter Than Kids' Claim Sparks Backlash: 'What a Stupid Statement' | IBTimes UK
Sam Altman's 'Ai Smarter Than Kids' Claim Sparks Backlash: 'What a Stupid Statement' | IBTimes UK
摘要: Technology
Sam Altman's 'Ai Smarter Than Kids' Claim Sparks Backlash: 'What a Stupid Statement'
Altman discussed the future of AI during a G20-relat
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Technology
Sam Altman's 'Ai Smarter Than Kids' Claim Sparks Backlash: 'What a Stupid Statement'
Altman discussed the future of AI during a G20-related technology meeting in North Carolina
Ria Pathak
Published
05 September 2026, 11:05 AM BST
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has sparked backlash over his prediction about children and artificial intelligence
TechCrunch/WikiMedia Commons
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
has sparked backlash after predicting that 'a kid growing up today will never be smarter than AI' during a G20-related technology meeting in North Carolina in early September 2026.
Altman argued that artificial intelligence should be embraced as a foundational technology comparable to electricity, saying children growing up today will never know a world without highly capable AI. His remarks quickly circulated online, prompting criticism over what intelligence means and whether AI should permanently outrank humans.
Sam Altman Compares AI Adoption to Electricity
Speaking alongside US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Altman presented AI as essential infrastructure for economic competitiveness and quality of everyday life. He argued that refusing to adopt AI would be comparable to rejecting electricity during the industrial era.
Altman also suggested that within a decade people may stop talking about 'AI' as a separate technology because it will simply be embedded into products, services and daily routines.
His prediction about children, however, became a widely shared part of the discussion.
OpenAI CEO's AI Prediction Sparks Online Backlash
The statement prompted a wave of critical reactions on social media, with users questioning whether artificial intelligence can be considered superior to humans in every form of intelligence.
One user wrote, 'What a stupid statement. He has no clue about magic or imagination or mystery.'
Another criticised the