Even Altman Couldn't Escape TikTok Addiction; the Most Dramatic Episode Behind Sora Is Here

OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman said he downloaded TikTok to study Sora’s competition, got hooked on short-form videos for a while, then deleted the app and turned off notifications.

He said OpenAI has shifted from a research lab to a product company, cutting some projects to focus resources on a smaller set of priorities.

Altman also discussed AI adoption, compute, coding tools, and the direction of products like ChatGPT and Codex, along with the broader competitive landscape.

The interview highlights both AI product competition and how powerfully short-video platforms can capture user attention.