- OpenAI’s CEO likens ChatGPT to early cellphones: basic and “barely useful” for now.
- He asks for patience as they work to improve large language models over years.
- Altman envisions AI advancing to “iPhone-level” capabilities that transform lives.
AI is like a ‘barely useful cellphone’
Speaking at the World Government Summit this week, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman made an analogy between today’s ChatGPT technology and the basic mobile phones of the past.
He stated that current large language AI models are at the level of an early “barely useful cellphone” with black-and-white screens that could only show numbers.
Just as mobile phones advanced from simple numeric-only displays to becoming powerful smartphones, Altman envisions ChatGPT and related systems evolving into far more capable “iPhone-level” AI.
Modest about what has been achieved so far
While people already benefit from current AI services, he doesn’t believe productivity improvements have matched expectations.
OpenAI is actively developing more advanced models such as GPT-5 in hopes of unlocking new applications and value at scale.
Altman painted a future in which everyone accesses personalized intelligence to solve problems, cure diseases, raise living standards, and boost scientific understanding.
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A call for patience
However, the OpenAI CEO asked for patience as his team works to improve large language models over years of ongoing research. He proposed an iterative approach where people safely experiment with emerging AI while adding appropriate regulations in response to issues.
Though unsure on timeframes, Altman sees today’s “barely useful” ChatGPT eventually becoming “remarkable” technology.
