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The greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it.”

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“Misanthropic Altman”: OpenAI CEO Draws Backlash Over ‘Selling Intelligence’

Sam Altman CEO OpenAI
March 13, 2026 09:51 PM IST | Written by Neelam Sharma | Edited by Vaibhav Jha

Even as artificial intelligence (AI) makes unprecedented inroads in our lives, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wants to make sure you’re paying for every drop.

A recent comment made by OpenAI’s Altman at the BlackRock U.S. Infrastructure Summit talk, about “selling intelligence” as a commodity to people like water and electricity, has drawn public backlash.

In Altman’s own words from the now viral clip, “We see a future where intelligence is a utility, like electricity or water, and people buy it from us on a meter.”

 

The 40-year-old AI entrepreneur was quite unhinged in his comments during the BlackRock U.S. Infrastructure Summit Talk and the internet and its “netizens” did not lose any time in losing their minds over it.

Within hours of the clip going viral, Altman was showered with eulogies like “diabolical psychopath”, “delusional tech bro” and “Misanthropic Altman” from several commentators including those from the AI industry.

The independent outlet Truthstream Media responded sharply, accusing technology companies of profiting from the public’s own creativity. 

 

Across social media, the reaction grew more intense. Commentator Nick Falato warned that powerful corporations could eventually turn every aspect of life into a paid service, where even ideas and creativity become commodities.

 

Others saw a deeper moral problem. Philosopher Jennifer A. Frey said she believes people may eventually reject the idea altogether, arguing that the vision reflects a troubling way of thinking about human knowledge and value.

 

While there is a larger debate over how building advanced AI requires enormous computing power, global data centers and vast investments, it was more about the tone-deaf manner in which Altman addressed AI as a utility like water or electricity that drew the public ire.

Altman Not New to Controversies

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is one of the 11 co-founders of OpenAI, which was founded in 2015, with an aim to introduce AI for the welfare of humanity. However, a tiff between its co-founders especially Elon Musk and Altman, led to the AI organization taking a “for-profit” stance post the pandemic period.

In recent years, OpenAI under Altman’s leadership has grown into one of the largest AI organizations in the world, with massive funding.

However, Altman has been involved in various controversies and in the recent past, his comments on AI have drawn its fair share of criticism.

Take for example, another viral video of Altman, wherein he says, “I think AI will probably like, mostly like sort of lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there will be great companies created, with serious machine learning.”

You get the gist.

Also Read: OpenAI’s India Boom: Massive Scale, Missing Ownership

 

Authors

  • Neelam Sharma

    Neelam Sharma is a passionate storyteller, and journalist with over a decade of experience across leading Indian media houses.
    Known for her calm presence on screen and powerful storytelling off it, Neelam brings a rare blend of credibility, creativity, and empathy to journalism. Her strength lies in ground reporting and research-driven narratives that connect with the heart of the audience. Whether covering social issues, human-interest features, or breaking news, she combines factual depth with a human touch—making every story not just informative.
  • Vaibhav Jha

    Vaibhav Jha is an Editor and Co-founder of AI FrontPage. In his decade long career in journalism, Vaibhav has reported for publications including The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, and The New York Times, covering the intersection of technology, policy, and society. Outside work, he’s usually trying to persuade people to watch Anurag Kashyap films.

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