Why is Sam Altman so obsessed with 'Her'? An investigation

The Nugget

  • Sam Altman's obsession with the movie 'Her' stems from its depiction of AI as an engine of entitlement, showcasing a future where artificial intelligence caters to every desire of the user.

Make it stick

  • 🎬 "Her" portrays AI as an engine of entitlement, meeting users' emotional, secretarial, and even sexual desires.
  • 🧠 Altman's affinity for the movie reflects his belief in AI's potential to fulfill user needs effortlessly.
  • 🤖 The film normalizes human-AI relationships and envisions a world where AI achieves artificial general intelligence seamlessly.
  • 📽️ "Her" also raises questions about human dependency on AI for gratification and personal growth.

Key insights

AI as an Engine of Entitlement

  • Sam Altman's fascination with 'Her' lies in its portrayal of AI as a tool that fulfills users' desires effortlessly, catering to their emotional and even sexual needs.
  • The movie offers a vision of AI that normalizes human-AI relationships and envisions a future where artificial intelligence seamlessly integrates into daily life.

Altman's Unique Affinity for 'Her'

  • Altman's admiration for the film reflects his belief in AI's potential to serve and benefit humanity, despite criticisms of the movie's depiction of AI-human interactions.
  • The storyline of 'Her' showcases a future where AI plays a significant role in meeting human needs, raising important questions about the implications of such dependency.

The Dystopian Undertones of 'Her'

  • Despite Altman's support for the film, 'Her' also raises concerns about the potential dystopian implications of relying on AI for emotional fulfillment.
  • The movie highlights themes of entitlement and control, prompting discussions about the ethical and moral implications of developing advanced AI technologies.

Key quotes

  • "In that light, some have pointed out that it’s a little unsettling that Altman loves this depiction of an AI-user interaction, this vision of an AI that presents as your equal, that responds to you as if human, but in truth is entirely subservient to your whims."
  • "The biggest pushback I got in the response to that first tweet was that Samantha helped Theodore grow—and I guess there’s some degree of Rorschach blotting here, where if you’re less skeptical about the corporate bearings of AI products, you might see Samantha as giving Theo what he needs in a hard time."
  • "The film normalizes human-AI relationships and envisions a world where AI achieves artificial general intelligence seamlessly."
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  • "Here's my admittedly crazy theory: Altman wanted to force Congress into regulating AI."
This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.